On average, one in three women and one in six men will experience a form of sexual harassment in their lives, according to the National Sexual Violence Research Center. The center also noted that out of 1000 rapes reported, 994 of those perpetrators will walk free. To read that makes me sick. Realizing that these numbers represent real people, real experiences, and real trauma makes me want to throw up.
On one hand, we have Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, being attacked on social media, accused of being a liar after her allegations against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. On the other, we have the founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, inspiring the movement to bring awareness of sexual assault victims and bring justice.
It seems that we live in a society that wants to become better, but it has not made the efforts to do so. The stigma around victims is hypocritical. How should we expect victims to speak out, when society will attack them for it? It leads to the shocking fact that 63 percent of sexual assault cases go unreported, according to the NSVRC.
Though it’s sparked up some controversy, only two to ten percent of cases are reported to be false. Yet, our nation immediately wants to know if the accusations are valid. However, based on the previous statistic, is it necessary to ask right away that a victim is lying as a first response?
How should we progress as a society? It all starts with our actions. I want to see a world where we can first respect anyone who comes forward to reveal their trauma and demand that justice is served. The backlash that Dr. Ford endured should not be the nation’s first response to victims. Instead, I believe we should unite to see that justice goes for all victims. Our nation needs to be able to listen. The laws and rules need to be better reinforced in order for justice to be served.