Tweeting for Healing

In recent years, an outpouring of posts from people sharing their experiences with sexual assault broke down stigmas and raised awareness for an issue that has historically been brushed under the rug. However, mobilization against rape and sexual assault is not new. Awareness around sexual assault became more prominent alongside the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The goals laid out by women’s rights organizations were similar to those of today: to reform both the laws dealing with rape and the culture reinforced by those laws. The difference that has made conversations stick is the internet.

Equipped with new technology, women in the 2010s used social media to create platforms for sexual assault survivors to come forward with their stories. On Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, survivors risked vulnerability to join supportive virtual communities.

Helena Rhodes, a sophomore at Pace University and a member of the Peer Advocates Against Sexual Assaults organization, believes social media has benefited survivors of sexual assault. “It helps people feel less alone and has made resources on how to stay safe more accessible,” she explained. Rhodes reiterated that seeing people her age come forward online helps others feel more comfortable doing the same.

Indeed, power comes in numbers. Standing alone is scary, but if you have people by your side, it’s much easier to get through something difficult. The viral nature of social media has been especially important in providing survivors with a support system they otherwise might not have had. It allows connections to be made quickly, reaching people far away and bringing massive amounts of awareness in such a short amount of time.

The #MeToo movement was one of the most influential campaigns for sexual assault survivors last decade, and it continues to remain relevant today. It all began when advocate and sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke created a space online that allowed survivors to feel safe in coming forward with stories of abuse. Burke founded the organization in October of 2006, originally specifically geared towards women of color who experienced sexual assault. However, it did not receive the widespread attention it deserved until 2017, when celebrities began using the hashtag. As more stars began to come forward online, so did the general public, creating a groundbreaking movement.

Actress Alyssa Milano helped get the ball rolling by tweeting, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted, write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Her tweet received 55,000 responses, and #MeToo became the number one trending hashtag.

Rhodes made a point of mentioning that celebrities who speak out help others come forward. People in their teens and twenties look up to celebrities, and if they see their favorite singer using their platform to share their story of abuse, it could make them feel more comfortable telling their own.

In October of 2018, journalist Talia Lakritz interviewed fifteen different women for Insider.com, asking them how the #MeToo movement has impacted their lives. All fifteen women gave remarkably similar answers, explaining that hearing other women’s stories was empowering, and that it gave them a voice.

Some women shared that it wasn’t until they saw other women’s stories of abuse that they realized they too were being abused, and others admitted that if it wasn’t for the hashtag, they probably would have never felt comfortable enough to come forward. When survivor Jenna Kreider was asked to share how #MeToo had affected her, she stated, “The #MeToo campaign really helped me to vocalize that with other people who I know have also gone through the same experience which is really great.”

The head of Sexual wellness at Pace University, Juliette Verrengia, explained how #MeToo has helped survivors, specifically in a college setting where the topic of sexual assault is often considered taboo due to students fearing that assault will not be taken seriously or could be covered up by the school. In agreement with the women who spoke out for Insider, Verrengea feels that the more we talk about the issue, the more likely people will feel less alone. This topic has become unavoidable due to the amount of awareness social media has provided. Feeling alone and unprotected is one of the main reasons survivors do not come forward, and thankfully #MeToo has been able to help some people conquer that fear.

“Do whatever makes you feel good. If the thought of coming forward brings you hope that might be a weight off your shoulders, that might be worth considering. If anxiety, fear, and vulnerability of coming forward feels completely overwhelming, then maybe right now isn’t the time for you,” says Verrengia to college students.

The past decade was a huge step in the right direction for women, but we still have a long way to go. Despite all the hard work women have put into spreading awareness, people continue to push them down. Women who come forward with stories of sexual abuse are often met with many obstacles. It’s not uncommon for survivors to take their case to court and end with an unsatisfying result. It can take years for women to come forward, and when they do, the defense may try to shatter their credibility. After reporting, many are asked every question from whether or not they had friendly contact with their attacker to why they didn’t fight back. Not only is this extremely upsetting for the person in question, but it also discourages others from coming forward due to fear that they too will not be believed.

Sharing your story is just the first step. Hurdles survivors may have to face after reporting an assault include reliving the trauma, feeling humiliated, being forced to disclose intimate details about the attack, facing your attacker in court, and having a rape kit performed. Women are asked demeaning questions about how much they were drinking when the assault occurred, what they were wearing, and if they made suggestive comments towards the perpetrator.

One would hope that social media would be nothing but a positive space for women to share their stories. However, posts on social media have the potential to make the prosecution of a sexual assault extremely complicated. With resources remaining insufficient for survivors, the process that comes after the assault can be the hardest part. Women reaching out for help online should not have to compromise on receiving justice.

Survivors have done a fantastic job paving the way for the future over the past ten years, but there is still a lot of work to be done on a structural level. Caitlin Moscatello summarized this idea for The Cut, “If the deluge of women coming forward proved anything, it is that we have had it — had it with men trying to shrug away sexual assault, had it with a system that punishes rapists based on their status instead of their crime, and had it with a society that often trusts the words of men over the words (and sometimes cuts and bruises) of women.”

According to America’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds, and only five out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. While it is a win that movements like #MeToo allow people to find strength in community, it is crucial that we take a step back and ask ourselves how we can keep assaults from happening, and how we can help push forward legislation that protects survivors.

Feminist movements have been fighting to get an honest conversation around sexual assault started for decades, but with social media, these movements were able to acquire more visibility that reached more people. Although sharing stories of assault can be liberating, it is by no means the solution to this ongoing issue. While social media allows for survivors to be seen and heard, we need to be at a place where there are fewer stories of sexual assault altogether, and in the cases where it does happen, to ensure that survivors are not only believed but protected by the law.

If you or someone you know has experienced assault and you want confidential support, call the sexual assault hotline at 800-656-HOPE (US), +33 01 45 88 19 00 (FR) or visit online.rainn.org.