The subject of sexual assault surfaced on social media last week with #MeToo, as victims were encouraged to come forward online with their stories and struggles.
The #MeToo trend became popular on Facebook, Twitter and various other social media platforms this past week, but it began in 2006 by Tarana Burke, said J. Gayle Beck, a psychotherapist at the University of Memphis.
“Tarana is herself a survivor of sexual assault,†Beck said. “This campaign was begun as a way to help women and girls who have experienced sexual assault and to recognize how common this is.â€
Beck said society’s view of sexual assault can often blame the victim for the actions committed against them, and that is why many rape cases go unreported. This can also make coming public online about past sexual assault challenging for some survivors.
“There is considerable shame and stigma that surrounds sexual assault,†Beck said. “Some people fear reprisal.â€
Beck also said many victims do not report their assaults because they do not think that the law enforcement or universities will take them seriously, and men especially feel that way.
“Men are also victimized,†Beck said. “It has been noted that more than 6 percent of men experienced attempted or completed sexual assault in college.â€
The highest rates of sexual assault and misconduct were among undergraduate females, transgenders, genderqueer and gender nonconformers, according to a 2015 survey by the Association of American Universities (AAU).
The AAU reported that 89 percent of United States colleges reported zero rapes in 2015, but another report conducted by AAU found that one in four women are raped in college and one in 33 men have experienced sexual assault.
Jennifer Moore, a staff psychologist at the U of M Counseling Center, said people might not report rapes because there are rape myths that go around society, and instead of helping the victims, people blame them.
“Sexual assault has a lot of stigma attached to it,†Moore said. “Survivors feel shame and guilt, as if they’re somehow at fault.â€
Moore said if a student comes to her to report a rape or sexual assault, the first thing she says is that she believes them.
More women have talked to Moore about sexual assault than men, but she has had men come to her.
“There is an added level of stigma with male survivors,†Moore said. “To society, it’s a question of their manhood.â€
Moore said people often do not report assaults because they believe it is not common in the U.S., but the numbers that go unreported are higher than they should be.
“It’s prevalent on college campuses because it’s prevalent in the United States,†Moore said.
