What #WhyIDidn’tReport Means for Millions of Women

After Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s emotional testimony against prospective Judge Brett Kavanaugh last week, many people questioned her decision to not report the sexual assault until now.

In response to this question, the Internet exploded with the hashtag #WhyIDidn’tReport, where hundreds of sexual assault survivors shared their story and why they decided not to tell anyone about what happened to them.

On the surface, this movement may seem similar to #MeToo and maintain many of its same basic principles and ideas, but what sets #WhyIDidn’tReport apart from its predecessor are its implications for women and the survivor community as a whole.

While #MeToo focused on the numerous overlooked instances of sexual assault, harassment, and rape, #WhyIDidn’tReport explores the direct impacts that sexual assault can have on survivors, both physically, mentally, and psychologically.

Although sexual violence can have clear physical effects, such as bruising and soreness, these events can also lead to intense flashbacks, anxiety, disorientation, and suicidal tendencies (Joyful Heart Foundation).

Many victims are too afraid or shocked to report the occurrence, so many turn to national lifelines — such as The National Sexual Assault Hotline, which saw a 147 percent increase in calls during Dr.Ford’s hearing (RAINN).

Despite the controversy over the testimony, which many argue was unreliable, the online Twitter movement which followed did even more to amplify the voices of survivors.

#WhyIDidn’tReport brings light to the feelings of shame, anger, and trauma that often surround an act of sexual violence, and what often holds people back from reporting their sexual assault right after it happens.

While telling someone about the event can feel freeing and liberating, it can also bring back negative emotions and trauma — according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 94 percent of women experience symptoms of PTSD in the two weeks following their attack.

Even when sexual assault is reported, which happens in only 310 out of every 1,000 cases, only 6 in every 1,000 rapists are actually incarcerated (RAINN).

These sobering statistics, combined with the stigma surrounding sexual assault, rape, and harassment, are more than enough to discourage many victims from speaking up and speaking out about what happened to them.

And this is exactly the message that #WhyIDidn’tReport aimed to spread that set it apart from #MeToo — that acts of sexual violence are not only relatively common, but that survivors are often shamed and demoralized for something that happened to them that was completely out of their control.