#MeToo continues to unite victims as public figures are accused of misconduct

The popular hashtag #MeToo continues to provide Americans with a shame-free outlet on social media for victims of sexual abuse.

Allegations broken by media outlets in the past few months against high-profile figures like film producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and PBS news host Charlie Rose helped to generate interest in the #MeToo hashtag from victims, celebrities and the media. Most recently, “Today†show host Matt Lauer was fired after accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace. 

Social media can play a positive role in promoting issues that normally do not get extensive news coverage, such as sexual violence, according to Carrie Brown, director of the social journalism program at the City University of New York Graduate School in New York City.

“I think it is also a good way to get the attention of reporters and editors who can then further amplify the message,†Brown said.

Social media can also help provide a safe haven for victims to band together, and the hashtag helps to de-stigmatize the topic as people see friends and family post their stories, Brown said.

“Maybe it’s easier because there is power in numbers and solidarity in sharing experiences alongside so many other women,†Brown said. “It’s easier to punish one person for speaking up than multiple people.â€

One in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted during some part of their lives, according to the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Still, only 28 percent of victims report sexual assaults to the police, a study from the Bureau of Justice Statistics found in 2000.

Lamar Matheny, a sophomore at the University of Memphis, has used the hashtag, and he said social media is less shameful and an easier way for victims of sexual assault and harassment to share their experiences.

“When a victim is simply scrolling through social media and sees one of their friends or even favorite celebrities post #MeToo, they are instantly comforted knowing that people they love have gone through the same problems,†Matheny said. “They are that much more motivated to share their story.â€Â 

Not only are victims using #MeToo, but organizations nationwide have been encouraged by the posts and the voice that social media provides. 

#MeToo also helps to show the public the magnitude and prevalence of sexual assault in businesses and communities, said Deborah Clubb, executive director of the Memphis Area Women’s Council. The council is a nonprofit that helps to give sexual violence victims a voice. 

“It is giving people an opportunity to speak up and speak out,†she said about the hashtag.

Even people who are not victims of sexual violence need to speak out and not be silent, Clubb said. For real change to take place, all Americans must get involved.

“We have to then also use that media to engage men as allies and make the bad behavior stop,†she said.