Thousands Of Women Are Riling Up Online To Explain Why Sexual Assaults Go Unreported
By Heidi Priebe
As anyone who’s glanced at the Internet over the past 24 hours knows, sexual assault claims have recently been made against Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Many people (including Trump himself) are questioning the timing of these claims: insisting that the assaults would have been reported sooner had they occurred.
None of us can say for sure whether or not the allegations against Trump are true – but here’s what we can all be 100% sure of – an alarming number of sexual assaults go unreported. And a slew of fearless women are taking to Twitter tonight to explain exactly why.
1. Because they’re often not believed.
https://twitter.com/imLouiseChantal/status/786743784197525504
2. Because it’s not always safe to report.
"If you report, nothing will happen and he'll just come after you and really do some damage"
— Stevie 🔮 (@stevieboebi) October 14, 2016
3. Because the definition of rape is grossly misunderstood.
https://twitter.com/cara_food/status/786743227508465668
4. Because the victim is almost always blamed.
Because we live in a world where if a woman is assaulted it is her fault and not person who assaulted her. #whywomendontreport #rapeculture
— Nicholas Ferroni (@NicholasFerroni) October 13, 2016
5. Because public reactions add insult to injury.
https://twitter.com/imLouiseChantal/status/786742540779319296
6. Because it causes you to relive the experience over and over and over.
https://twitter.com/sannewman/status/786683987515285504
7. Because we aren’t seeing justice getting served.
#WhyWomenDontReport
Because one in four women has been raped but only one in 1,000 gets #justice.— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) October 14, 2016
8. Because it prolongs an already painful experience.
To the survivor, coming forward with the assault just looks like a big, long process of prolonging their pain in a very public way.
— Heidi Priebe 🌱🌹 (@HeidiPriebe1) October 13, 2016
9. Because they’ll call your sexuality into question.
"If you tell people you were raped or molested they won't believe you're a lesbian"#WhyWomenDontReport
— Stevie 🔮 (@stevieboebi) October 14, 2016
10. Because the media will skew things however they see fit.
#WhyWomenDontReport because this country prefers to make rapists look like golden boys and victims like trashy women "who deserved it"
— sai (@Saisailu97) October 13, 2016
11. Because reporting can rip away resources.
Because I was 18 and I needed the summer job and he was the restaurant's manager #WhyWomenDontReport
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 13, 2016
12. Because the ‘perfect victim’ mentality is still alive and thriving.
We'll be misgendered, harassed and demonized by law enforcement & the general public.#WhyTransWomenDontReport #WhyWomenDontReport
— Raquel Willis (she/her) (@RaquelWillis_) October 14, 2016
13. Because our minds play tricks on us to keep it together.
#whywomendontreport – Because trauma can cause your mind to play tricks on you, even making you question if it really happened.
— Dee Star NJ D#7 🐝 (@DeeStarInNJ) October 14, 2016
14. Because it happens to children who have no idea what to do.
Because I was 13 and afraid. #WhyWomenDontReport
— SOS_USA (@KattNasty) October 13, 2016
15. Because it’s too close to home.
https://twitter.com/RoseCox_KY/status/786662432680792064
16. Because it’s not always understood.
https://twitter.com/prachigu/status/786661424097595393
17. Because we go into survival mode.
Becuase people have zero clue what it's like for your brain and body to freeze completely. What the shame feesl like. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Rachel Thompson, Author | Survivor | Biz Owner (@RachelintheOC) October 13, 2016
18. Because it’s seen as bringing shame onto the family.
My father told me I was embarrassing our family by claiming assault #WhyWomenDontReport
— PewPewPew (@pewcubed) October 13, 2016
19. Because it seems easier to get through it alone.
Because it felt like it was easier to endure privately than risk being judged publicly. #WhyWomenDontReport
— Abhorrent Housewife (@abhorrent_wife) October 14, 2016
20. Because the situation seems hopeless.
#WhyWomenDontReport: Because we face a justice system that doesn’t protect us and a culture that doesn't believe us.
— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) October 13, 2016
2016 is a scary time to be a woman (or an assault victim of any gender identity). But if there’s anything today has taught us, it is this: Rape culture is strong. But survivors are stronger. And the era of silence surrounding sexual assault cases is ready to come to an end.