Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Oct. 24, 2017, edition 1 / Page 15
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% ' 'V ■«■ I ^ ■* - . #> Prnried Tweet Aiyssa Milano €» @Alyssa_yilano • Oct 15 If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet. Me too. Suggested by a friend: "If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too.' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem." IK asK 53i #MeToo social media trend gives voice to sexual harrassment victims CATHERINE PIG6 Opinion Editor cpigg@unca.edu The #MeToo campaign started nearly a decade ago by activist Tarana Burke. It was created to help bring awareness to the social issue of sexual assault and harass ment. The current social media movement gained momentum in light of victims com ing forward about allegations of sexual as sault against Harvey Weinstein, an Ameri can film producer. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportu nity Commission reported 11,364 claims of sexual harassment in the workplace in 2011, with 83.7 percent of these charges filed by females. Individuals who faced either sexual as sault, sexual harassment or both in the past were encouraged to use the hashtag #Me- Too to demonstrate how big an issue sex ual violence is within society. Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Alyssa Milano, Lady Gaga and Monica Lewinsky tweet ed out #MeToo. Thousands of individuals across the internet posted either in support of individuals opening up about their expe rience with sexual violence, or by coming out with their own story. Many of the #MeToo supporters bring awareness to the many women and men who have faced sexual assault in the past but may be unwilling to share their experi ence and how survivors do not owe anyone their story. For some survivors, retelling their story could act as a trigger and for others it may be unsafe to tell their story. It is important to acknowledge these survi vors own their stories and are not required to speak out. The National’s Women Study reports one out of three female rape victims devel op post traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives. Rape is the most under-reported crime as 63 percent of sexual assaults are not re ported to the police, according to The Na tional Sexual Violence Resource Center. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Net work reports 7 out of 10 rapes are commit ted by someone the victim knows. Out of the statistic above, 45 percent were com mitted by acquaintances, 25 percent were current or former partners and 23 percent were strangers. This social campaign serves as a pow erful reminder to the general public how often sexual violence occurs and forces the issue into the light. #MeToo acts as both an outcry against sexual assault and harassment and re veals the intense reality many face, espe cially women who make up the majority of sexual assault victims. This campaign not only acts as an outlet for survivors to speak about their experience, but also as a reminder for others to speak out against sexual violence and stand with victims.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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Oct. 24, 2017, edition 1
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