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"I don't want to miss this moment. It is not always going to be on TV. The media isn't always going to have to care about what I have to say about sexual violence. When that goes away, I need you to still care about this. I need you to recognize this is an epidemic, a pandemic that won't go away by just talking. Speeches and hashtags won't make it go away." - Tarana Burke

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Online Awareness

As social media platforms have become more and more popular, they have also allowed people the opportunity to reach a wide audience, even from the comfort of their own home. Ordinary people have the ability to spread a message and reach hundreds, thousands, even millions of others. Even in this age of advancement, we continue to live in a world of violence. Sexual violence is one such form of violence that continues at high rates on a daily basis and affects a range of people. In particular, women are at high risk of being the victim of sexual assault and navigate their world in certain ways because of this. Statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center cite that 81% of women and 43% of men have reported experiencing some form of sexual assault or harassment at one point in their lives, so this is a much bigger issue than many of us can imagine. Something needs to be done in order to combat this violence that can quickly and dramatically change a person. One way a lot of activists, survivors or not, have garnered attention for this important cause is through social media or otherwise online presence. This blog will explore the various forms of outreach used to increase awareness about sexual assault and harassment.

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Shocking statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center 2015 Data Brief. These numbers show just how important awareness is. Almost 1/2 of all women and a 1/4 of all men have experienced some from of sexual violence in their lives.

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The following NPR article details the impact of #MeToo, an online movement that gained attention during the Harvy Weinstein case. This movement revealed other figures who have abused their power to the detriment of others, especially those below them. While so many survivors have been silenced, this movement was a way to give them a voice and remind others of the prevalence of such behavior. Staying silent only benefits the perpetuators, the system that protects them, and society’s overall rape culture. This movement is one of the most well-known ways for victims to empower themselves online. A quote from the article details this well, “As with Weinstein, many formerly powerful men have similarly been accused of sexual assault and harassment in the years since #MeToo went global. But more broadly, the movement also helped launch a wider examination of society’s treatment of women in everyday life, at the workplace and in Hollywood."

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A letter from the founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, to survivors. She reflects back on what has and hasn't been accomplished since the movement's ignition in 2017. She also mentions how the movement has pushed out men as well as transgender and nonbinary individuals but that there is still space for them, acknowledging the work they have already put in. Despite the backlash some survivors get for speaking out, they are helping to push forward this objective of giving the underrepresented a voice.

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While the phrase "Me Too" was coined by Tarana Burke, it gained widespread use after this tweet by actress Alyssa Milano in 2017. This was posted just before the Harvey Weinstein investigation took place and it went viral quickly. Biography.com says that in a few days, 40,000 people had responded to the tweet and more than 12 million had used the hashtag across social media platforms. (Source: https://www.biography.com/activists/tarana-burke)

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Regarding allegations against Bill Cosby and how people used the #MeToo movement to speak out about their experiences. This post also gives a good overview of why this movement is so important and beneficial to human rights. People try to argue against the #MeToo movement as being "cancel culture" but it helps insure that dangerous individuals face the consequences of their actions and their harm against others.

MeToo movement and Cosby

I don't ever want to hear people complain about "cancel culture" and the #MeToo movement being "too much" and threatening "freedoms". Literally a serial rapist with more than 50 victims walked today, Kevin Spacey also a rapist is doing movies again, and the list goes on and on. Every day women are being victimized and their victimizer walks free. Manlets like Joe Rogan that constantly spew fear-mongering rhetoric around "canceling" being the worst thing are the biggest culprits in creating this narrative. A great injustice was committed today and people have the right to be upset.

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The Conversation on Sexual Assault & Harassment on TikTok

While it may seem like an interesting place to share experiences of sexual assault and harassment, TikTok has become a widely used platform for raising awareness. Especially geared towards the younger generation, TikTok has been successful in reaching a large audience and is often used to spread messages of awareness or activism. It is also a site for younger individuals, who are most risk for sexual violence (source: NVSC data brief), to share their stories and get support from others. Whether it is through videoing everyday experiences, telling a story, or showing the ways women protect themselves everyday, TikTok users have increased the conversation around this subject.

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The sharing of sexual harassment experiences through videos.

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This user shares her experience being followed on her run. She brings up the common shared fear many women have of all men due to the rate of sexual assault and femicide in this country. She also mentions the protection/survival tactics she uses to keep herself safe as a young individual female that are well-known to women. Despite these efforts, in such an unsafe world, harassment can be unavoidable.

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Another example of what women and mothers especially have to do in fear of their safety or that of their children. This is an example of the normalization of the lifestyle we have built around male violence.

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Trigger Warning. A young woman in the navy shares her experiences of sexual assault as well as online harassment. She posts it on TikTok as well to further the reach of her story.

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Trigger Warning. Another TikTok user shares her experience of rape. This time, it is in the format of a trend to raise awareness and end victim blaming by showing the clothes victims were assaulted in. This helps eradicate the stigma that victims ask for their traumatic experience through the clothing they choose to put on their bodies. It is also a harsh reminder of the children that are sexually assaulted everyday and the way society needs to stand up for the vulnerable.

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Trigger Warning. Another well-used way to bring attention to sexual assault online is through exposing the assaulter. While this can be unsafe, it is often done due to the lack of action on the side of police and law enforcement. It is also done to keep other women safe and help them be aware of a dangerous person.

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Another way of raising awareness about harassment, in this case verbal, is by sharing the comments that are received. This makes people, especially other men, more aware of the type of behavior that women are being subjected to. While this may not be as shocking as sharing a story of an actual sexual assault, it is important that these types of comments are brought to attention so that people can realize just how deep and extensive this problem is. These types of comments promote the rape culture that has made society turn a blind eye to harassment and assault. Bringing it to attention makes it so that people are more aware of just how disgusting it is and how it should not be normalized.

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Another video showing a survivor speaking out about her rapist online to garner attention to the cause and reach a wide range of viewers. She does this to help keep others safe while simultaneously making people aware of how common this is.

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Sarah Everard & "The 97%" Trend

Following the kidnape, rape, and murder of a young woman by the name of Sarah Everard in London, an online outrage erupted. Around the same time, a 2021 report came out from the UN Women of the UK that reported that 97% of women aged 18-24 have reported having been sexually harassed. Using both of these as fuel for the fire, many teenagers and young adults on TikTok decided to create a "trend" about this shocking statistic and the brutal assault and murder of an innocent young woman. Called "The 97%", users decided to share their experiences of harassment, even from early ages, to emphasize the magnanimity of the situation. While the data is under question for accuracy, the trend has gained a lot of attention and allowed survivors to find comfort within each other.

(https://www.unwomenuk.org/safe-spaces-now/)