It’s been roughly two years since the MeToo movement took the world by storm. The hashtag was used roughly 19 million according to Pew Research. The conversation about sexual misconduct is easier to have now and people are telling their stories and receiving the help they need because victims are speaking out on large stages and millions are inspired to finally give their story to the world 

The MeToo movement was made by Tarana Burke in 2006. The goal was to give hope to victims and give a community to said victims. It was made when Burke was told by a 13-year-old girl and all she wanted to say was “me too”. 

Statistically the MeToo movement was more than a hashtag. In 2017 there were 433,648 victims (age 12 or older) according to RAINN, an organization dedicated to helping sexual assault victims. The crime was only reported 19 times out of 1,000 women according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Criminal Victimization. In 2017 when the movement started to gain major traction it was reported 40 percent more for women. 

“We’re making the connection easier” says Monique Visocky. A counselor at Omaha North. 

The MeToo movement has two shortcomings though, victims aren’t taken at face value and are being dismissed as having false accusations, and the movement didn’t make a safe environment for all victims.  

Addressing its first fault seeing victims being dismissed because their accusations aren’t timely. In 2018 decades-old sexual assault allegations against former Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama and then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh were extensively questioned to the point of harassing the accusers Christine Blasey Ford and the three women who accused Moore.  

 Visocky says, “Victims have the mindset of “people won’t believe me anyways”. Victims should report immediately, and we should trust the victims.” 

While the stigma for victims is already prominent some groups of people can barely muster the strength to come forward because they never received a voice. 

Men severely underreport the abuse they go through. 64 percent of women report sexual abuse to at least one person, for males that’s only 14 percent according to 1in6, an organization that is dedicated to helping male victims.  

Even when males do report the abuse society usually views it as sign of weakness. Terry Cruise, a famous actor testified on national television about how he was groped, and it mentally scarred him. He was mocked by flocks of people including 50 Cent. The rapper mocked Terry’s masculinity and made him feel humiliated.  

“People devalue men’s feelings. Everyone who is a victim should be given the power to tell their story, doesn’t matter if you’re male or female,” says Visocky. 

The MeToo movement was designed to include everyone, but as women took control of the movement the MeToo movement left out men. When those men did report they are thrown under the bus. 

The MeToo movement should have given everyone a voice but we still culturally bash victims and delegitimize them by not even giving them a voice. It’s time for that change 

Sexual crimes are the most underreported crimes in the United States according to MCASA, the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault. It is believed that only 15.8 to 35 percent of all sexual assaults are reported to the police according to the Coalition. While the MeToo movement made the conversation easier, we need to constantly be pushing for victims to feel safe reporting and giving voices to those who find it hard to report.  

It’s hard enough to look at these statistics. One hashtag is important for sparking the fire of change, but we need to keep it bright.