#MeToo

#MeToo

1. Introduction
2. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, nearly 1 in 5 women in the United States report of sexual violence at one point in their lives (NCVS, 2019). 37% of the total victimization experienced is identified as rape, sexual assault, aggravated assault and robbery (NCVS, 2019). The #MeToo movement is a campaign that seeks social change. It was primarily initiated through social media. The #MeToo movement was founded in 2006. The idea was to help survivors of sexual abuse and violence to find ways of healing (About, 2020). In the beginning, it aimed at helping African American women but, has gradually diversified. From a historical perspective, according to NCVS (2019), at least 58% of African American women were sexually assaulted between the age of 15 and above by White men. Today, NCVS (2019) reports that 1 in 5 African American women report of being raped at one point in their lives. From this, a total of 3.1 million are estimated to be African American women who are victims of sexual violence, and 5.9 million are survivors of other forms of sexual assault. The racial aspect of sexual violence or assault survivors is different among African American women (NCVS, 2019).

The scope of the movement according to Tarana Burke was to address the limited resources that women of sexual violence or abuse history lacked and determine a way of building a community of advocates, inspired by the survivors who would be at the helm of creating the solution to interrupt sexual violence in their communities (About, 2020).  In less than six months after the social media campaign kicked off, the movement gained national as well as international recognition (About, 2020). A national debate regarding sexual violence started, and survivors of sexual violence were helped, including the de-stigmatization of the victims such as highlighting the breadth of the impact of sexual violence (About, 2020). As a result, there has been an increase in self-reported incidences of rape or sexual violence which has doubled from 1.4 persons in 1000 people from the age of 12 and older to 2.7 in the United States of America in 2018 (NCVS, 2019). In a nutshell, the #MeToo has evolved to reframe and expand to a global conversation concerning sexual violence which has been needed for a very long time.

1. The positive outcome of the #MeToo is that more than 250 cases have been brought to justice, giving closure to the victims (Seales, 2018). An example of a perpetrator is Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of sexual harassment and rape. As a result, the individual was fired from his film position (Seales, 2018). The outcome of the movement is that it has shown that the male gender is most likely the perpetrator while the women are the victims. According to a Tweet sent out by actress Alyssa Milano suggested that it was time to see the extent of the damage in the society, more than half a million people responded on the Twitter platform within 24-hours (Seales, 2018). High profile men have been exposed as a result of the campaign, including those who work in entertainment, media, politics and technology industry.
2. The negativity that surrounds the #MeToo is about the allegations that women can bring forward regarding sexual violence. Strategically the movement has brought more confusion in the workplace regarding sexual tension, violence and assault definition (Ortiz, 2018). Mostly, it has made it easier for victims to increasingly become aware of their perpetrators. But, with this awareness comes negativity. There is a growing concern that the backlash the movement is gaining is allowing perpetrators to continue conducting the social ills without regard for the consequences (Ortiz, 2018).
3. The #MeToo campaign should focus on all aspects of sexual assault and violence regardless of gender, age and ethnicity. Based on the statistics, it appears that men are also victims of sexual assault. The recent Weinberg case exposes that sexual violence not only transcends in the high-profile individuals but, also within the lower ranks of an organization or domestic setting. Therefore, the campaign would focus on all aspects of the movement.
4. Men who believe that they have all the power in the world have a little place to hide (or do they?)
5. Yes, I do believe that it takes several victims to come forward before a sexual predator is caught. The first instance is that it is always the victim’s words and testimony against the individual (“Why so Few Rapists Are Convicted,” 2020). Other reasons include most women do not report their ordeal, they cannot remember, and it involves a high profile individuals (“Why so Few Rapists Are Convicted,” 2020). For instance, take the Harvey Weinstein trial. It took several women to accuse the individual who is a high profile man of sexual assault and violence towards the survivors. All in all, some victims do not have the courage to surrender their ordeal to the law enforcement for fear of rejection or ridicule or embarrassment (“Why so Few Rapists Are Convicted,” 2020). In worse case scenarios, their reports are never taken seriously, especially those that involve high profile individuals.
6. Why Women Do Not Come Forward

Women do not come forward for a number of reasons.

1. Reaction: women fear that the reaction they will get rejected for presenting themselves to the law enforcement agencies.
2. There is the issue of loss of their position or reputation. The phenomenon is highly possible in the work environment. The fear of ‘her words against his’ often fall to the latter, which makes the woman fear to expose the sexual perpetrator.
3. Another reason is that the social perception of women and their attitude often limits the need for women to present their cases. It is believed that no one would consider their plea due to this stereotypic ideology on women and attitude.
4. Finally, there are those who do not think that their ordeal was not significant enough to warrant a report. As a result, this could bring stigma in their lives, considering the way they perceive the role of men in society. They will often see the ideology is that men are more domineering and cannot present a different way of thinking.

• The Problems With The Current Status Of The #Metoo Movement

The #MeToo movement has caused a lot of backlashes, especially in the workplace. According to a study done including 157 women and 303 men, it was discovered that men were now reluctant in hiring attractive women due to the pressures of sexual violence and misconduct in the workplace (HBR, 2019). The study also revealed that men were more willing to exclude women in social gatherings, especially having one on one meeting with women (HBR, 2019). On the other hand, it was reported that women were still adamant about the impact of the movement, citing that they expected the harassment to continue (HBR, 2019). The fear has translated into normal daily routines. For instance, men are finding it more difficult to initiate any bodily contact with women as they fear being accused of sexual harassment.

The problem with the #MeToo is that people are making fun of the campaign citing it as the worst failure that women would go through to prove a point. Based on the study, men suggested that the campaign was comic relief given that women sometimes often want to expose themselves in such situations. For this reason, those that take the campaign as a comical one often do not take the issue of privacy and self-space seriously. Simultaneously, women or victims of sexual violence are often not taken seriously in their intentions of speaking out in public. The expectation is that others would not support them and would label them as being ‘shameful.’ Based on the study referred to above, the researchers reported that the ideological differences in the type of sexual harassment and assaults were not well known among men compared to women.

There are different types of assaults. They include rape (which is the sexual intercourse against the person’s will), and forcible sodomy (sexual assault from the anal section against a person’s consent). There is also forcible object penetration (whereby the person forces something in a person’s vagina or anus causing harm), marital rape, sexual contact with minors without consent, unwanted sexual contact (coerced) and incest (Types of Sexual Assault – Women’s Center, 2019).

Another pivotal problem with the #MeToo is that most influential people are not brought to justice and actually pay for their actions. Examples include President Donald Trump and Bloomberg have been accused of sexual assault. Others include director Bryan Singer who is connected with the sexual molestation and abuse of under-age boys which is said to be an open secret in Hollywood (Money, Fame, Power, 2019). The aspect of Hollywood and sexual harassment shows how the music industry, as well as the film industry, is reputable in harassing women, as well as vulnerable boys as shown with the Bryan Singer case and Jeffrey Epstein.

1. What Is The Bigger Message Behind #Metoo
2. The bigger message about the #MeToo is that it has brought awareness to women regarding sexual harassment and their right to seek justice or openly discuss the issue. It has brought more light into how sexual harassment in the workplace, the public and in homes is rampant in the United States of America. Another merit to the #MeToo campaign is that it has shown that men can also be affected. Although, the statistics are insignificant given that men are not as vocal as women, according to HBR (2019). The underlying reasons for men not coming forward are the stigmatization they will get regarding sexual assault. The norm has always been that women are the most vulnerable in society; therefore, it is only right for them to fight for such rights. Nevertheless, this is changing given that documentaries such as An Open Secret that highlights the plight of young boys and men who are sexually assaulted by their directors or employers.
3. An additional message that the #MeToo brings forth is the issue of sexual harassment, definition of it, types and how each is intolerable. The evolution of the campaign has gone through over the years has brought more light on how sexual harassment can take numerous concepts (Seales, 2018).
4. The greatest achievement that the #MeToo campaign has gained is the increasing number of sexual assault or rape charges presented in American courts. According to the New York and other affiliated newspaper companies, there is a list of more than 200 men who have been presented in court on allegations of sexual assault by their victims (HBR, 2019).
6. However, the achievement of the campaign is yet to achieve widespread action against perpetrators. The revisit on the revamp campaign on #MeToo could address partnerships with prominent organizations. In the sporting industry, for instance, partnerships would go a long way to show that they are in support of the #MeToo to reduce victimization by influential people who are known to get away with their actions. It can include the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
7. The process could involve the presentation of the advertisement, social media campaigns and promotions regarding sexual harassment. For instance, it could include printing campaigns on sports gears or attires from a marketing perspective. The idea of the victims seeing their athletes with the message may inspire them to seek justice or report their offenders. The intention is to bring a positive impact on augmenting the intention of the #MeToo campaign.
8. The #MeToo has presented a lot of national studies inclusive of the workplace environment. HBR (2019) has highlighted one of the ongoing research efforts to understand the extent of the issue. However, the extent of the issue conducted is on minima scales, and only intent is to understand whether men and women comprehend the issue. The NCVS (2019) also conducts estimated national statistics on sexual assault but, on a limited capacity. Therefore, it would be ideal if Congress or State governments acknowledge the problem and financially support the movement in understanding the widespread issue of sexual harassment and associated acts. By understanding and learning the human behaviour that occurs in these instances, we can better prep people for situations they might find themselves in one day.
9. There should be a revamp in how the campaign takes its initiative to society. It can include the campaign on the individuals who committed the crimes and decided to present themselves to law enforcement agencies. By celebrating such individuals, it may warrant others to present themselves to authorities.
10. In conclusion, the #MeToo campaign has shown numerous benefits that acknowledge both the victims and the offenders and what role they can do in ensuring that the campaign is a success. As recommended above, it would be ideal for influential organizations such as the NFL and NBA and others in promoting good positivity to the victims. However, for the campaign to eventually realize its full potential, there has to be financial support especially from the legislative bodies as well as the organizations who are willing to partake in protecting the rights of the victims and ensuring that the offenders are prosecuted. Additionally, there has to be a widespread campaign that utilizes social media as its platform. Social media, as we know it today, has more impact compared to traditional media. Therefore, it is recommended that the campaign take more advantage of the media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hence, the movement should focus on re-strategizing on its campaign, especially on the controversies that surround it, limiting its potential in protecting the victims.

References

About. (2020). Me Too Movement. https://metoomvmt.org/about/

HBR. (2019, September 1). The #MeToo Backlash. Harvard Business Review, September–October 2019. https://hbr.org/2019/09/the-metoo-backlash

Money, fame, power: How celebrities get away with sex abuse. (2019, September 23). Crime + Investigation. https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/money-fame-power-how-celebrities-get-away-with-sex-abuse

NCVS. (2019). Statistics. National Sexual Violence Resource Center. https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics

Ortiz, J. L. (2018). Will #MeToo turn into #NotHer? Movement may come with unintended workplace consequences. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/04/metoo-movement-unintended-career-consequences-women/1503516002/

Seales, R. (2018, May 12). What has #MeToo actually changed? BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44045291

Types of Sexual Assault – Women’s Center. (2019). https://www.marshall.edu/wcenter/sexual-assault/types-of-sexual-assault/

Why so few rapists are convicted. (2020). The Economist. https://www.economist.com/international/2020/01/04/why-so-few-rapists-are-convicted