Just last year, #MeToo paved the way for sexual assault survivors to share their stories with the world. Now another hashtag has been created, this one sharing the reasons why many sexual assault survivors never come forward with their assault. Through #WhyIDidntReport, sexual assault survivors are showing the world just how difficult it is to report their assault to authorities and even their own families and close friends, as many survivors are silenced through victim-blaming and trauma from assault. The trending hashtag is in response to Trump’s tweets on Friday morning that questioned why Christine Blasey Ford did not come forward decades ago when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a fine man, with an impeccable reputation, who is under assault by radical left wing politicians who don’t want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay. Facts don’t matter. I go through this with them every single day in D.C.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018
I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018
Trump’s tweets exemplify one of the many victim blaming tactics people use to silence sexual assault survivors, essentially telling survivors that their assault is only valid if they report it when it happens and that if they wait “too long” to report it then they must not be telling the truth. But instead of blaming the survivor for not coming forward with their assault when it happened, people need to start focusing on the reasons why sexual assault survivors are discouraged to come forward with their assault when it happens or even at all, which is why #WhyIDidntReport was born.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 21, 2018
Actress Alyssa Milan, who made Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement go viral in 2017, replied to Trump’s tweet by sharing the reasons why she never came forward. She then told sexual assault survivors to share their stories under her tweet using #WhyIDidntReport, which inspired thousands of survivors to share their stories, for many this being the first time.
https://twitter.com/jjnschff3/status/1043308954699227137?s=21
#WhyIDidntReport
At 8, when I tried to say something about the old man grabbing girls, a neighborhood mom said I was lying, and wouldn't let other kids play with me, so I was afraid to tell my own mother
At 20, he was a lawyer and said no one would believe me over him— MsMannSeñoraHombre (@Manntaray63) September 22, 2018
I'm 47 and I just told my mom about things happened to me when I was 10. The fear of telling and having someone look at you differently is what kept me from saying anything until now. No matter how long ago it was I still deal with it daily
— Uniqness (@sharonlatham31) September 21, 2018
Then other celebrities started using the hashtag to share their stories as well, causing the hashtag to soon trend on Twitter.
I was 7 the first time I was sexually assaulted. He was a relative of my mom’s second husband. I told my folks and they sent me away. #WhyIDidntReport
— Padma "Flip The Senate" Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 21, 2018
The third time I was assaulted I was 23. I thought that no one would believe me, because no one wanted to stand up to him. I had seen the way Anita Hill was treated when she came forward. #WhyIDidntReport
— Padma "Flip The Senate" Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 21, 2018
Because I didn’t want to lose my job or make people think I was a drama queen. #WhyIDidntReport
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) September 21, 2018
I waited over 20 years to report my sexual abuser.
Because I was 14.
Because it was my hero.
Because it was my priest.
Because I thought I'd be expelled.
Because I feared no one would believe me.
Because I thought suicide was easier than telling 1 person#WhyIDidntReport— Thomas Roberts (@ThomasARoberts) September 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/caitjgibson/status/1043206126211399680?s=21
Catherine Blasey Ford was allegedly sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh when they both were in high school, and she has received death threats among other forms of harassment since she has come forward. The shows that the reason why so many survivors do not come forward with their assault is because of how negatively society treats them once they do. When survivors vocalize their assault they are oftentimes blamed, harassed, threatened, discouraged, ignored, and sometimes even harmed. Hopefully, with this hashtag, our society will learn to stop blaming survivors for their assault, and negating the validity of their assault if they do not come forward the second it happens.
Photo: Alexis Parker
