Sampling Average Canadians' Ideas of Fidelity

"Most Canadians say they have not cheated, though many have thought about it. The numbers are more or less equal, however, when we look at those who have seriously considered cheating on their partner."
"Canadians agree, for the most part, on what constitutes cheating. But there are some things Canadians disagree on, and when they do, the difference falls mainly among gender lines."
"Surprisingly, for me, is that a small percentage of the population, among both genders, does not consider those things [dating website, sending sexually explicit messages, kissing  other people] cheating."
Quito Maggi, president, Mainstreet Research

Carl Court/Getty Images   The Ashley Madison website.

So it is that thirteen percent of male respondents to a poll -- recently released by Mainstreet Research in the wake of the Ashley Madison criminal data break -- and eight percent of women, admitted that they cheated on their spouses. Twenty percent of women and twenty-three percent of men also admitted that they have at some time considered cheating

The release last week of the names of tens of millions of clients of the Ashley Madison 'cheating' site has led to a more or less expected fallout. From attempts at extortion, to falling victim to online scams, and the suspicion that some recent suicides are related to the release of that information in the public arena, wholly disrupting people's lives.

The poll of a random sample of 2,459 Canadians cross-country elicited information that 17 percent of women believe viewing pornography constitutes cheating, in comparison to nine percent of men. Visiting a strip club constituting infidelity is supported by seventeen percent of men and 19 percent of women. Kissing someone other than a spouse, sending sexually explicit messaging, or signing up for a dating website or service elicits agreements in like numbers for both men and women.

In many instances, however, many relationship offences are seen by some respondents to the poll as uncertain; they've chosen "not sure", as their response. Sleeping with a prostitute or having sex with someone other than your spouse has the general consensus as representing adultery by most Canadians, irrespective of gender.

Six percent of Canadians don't feel that sex with someone other than their spouse, to be considered illicit, while eight percent don't think of sex with a prostitute to be illicit. For what it's all worth. The stupidity and tawdriness of it all simply points out how flawed we are as responsible adults committed to a long-term relationship.