20 OCTOBER 2017
BY GEMMA MCSHERRY, JOURNALIST

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It’s hard to remember the last time there was an instance of public outcry that didn’t result in a viral social media trend. Whilst many social media trends can bring light to a cause, which can seem neglected or less acknowledged, too often they can give members of the public who engage with such trends the sense that the issue has been dealt with, that is it done.

The #MeToo hashtag came about in response to the allegation en masse, of acts of sexual assault and rape by Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein. The details of these allegations have been reported many times in the last week or more and it would be nearly impossible to have missed the mass media coverage of his alleged crimes. Many internationally recognised stars from Angelina Jolie to Gwyneth Paltrow and Cara Delevingne have accused Weinstein of assault. His abuse follows patterns, as many sexual predators tend to do. He would allegedly trick young women into believing they were attending a private casting session in his hotel room, during which he would change into a bathrobe, before asking for a massage and sexual favours. On many documented allegations, this ended in a sexual assault by Weinstein.  To give a sense of perspective on the power Weinstein yields in Hollywood, here are some of the films his production company Miramax are responsible for: Good Will Hunting, Chicago, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Bridget Jones, Scary Movie, The Aviator; the list goes on. We know from the allegations that there are few stars in Hollywood whom Weinstein hasn’t worked with over the years, and many that vowed never to work with him again.

Much of the media reporting on the allegations has cantered around the victims of Weinstein’s predatory ways. The Daily Mail named and shamed all the actresses who have called Weinstein out for abuse but that have been pictured smiling with him in photos. Many other media outlets have pointed out that it took many actresses more than 10 years to speak out about their abuse, and that they went on to work with him after alleged attacks took place.

It only takes a few minutes of internet research into physiological impact of sexual abuse and violence on victims to uncover that many victims find the prospect of speaking out against their abuser and recounting the abuse, never mind facing allegations of lying, an incredibly stressful and terrifying experience. In the UK only around 15% of those who experience sexual violence report to the police and approximately 90% of those who are raped know the perpetrator prior to the offence. It is clear that the issues surrounding bringing an abuser to justice are much greater than simply the victims ability to ‘speak out at the time.’  Sadly, we know that even if everyone who experienced sexual violence were to report their crimes to the police, in the UK only 5.7% of reported rape cases ending in a conviction for the perpetrator; perpetuating the belief that speaking out against ones abuser isn’t always enough when it comes to seeking justice for sexual assault and rape.

The #MeToo trend encourages people who have experienced forms of sexual assault and violence to post ‘#MeToo’ on social media in order to raise awareness of how widespread and common the problem of sexual assault is. If you see your sister, your cousin or a close friend acknowledging that they too, have experienced sexual assault then you might stop to think and humanise the victims who have spoken out around the world against their abusers. But there was one major flaw with the movement. By encouraging victims to speak out, we are once again drawing attention to the victims of this abuse. We are once again putting victims in the spotlight when we should be looking towards those who carry out abuse and re-educating the masses on what constitutes abuse and consent and what doesn’t.

We must not allow the media narrative to bring only the victims into the spotlight. Not only does it make anyone who doesn’t want to engage with this hashtag or publically discuss their abuse feel like they aren’t doing enough to combat a universally recognised epidemic, but we run the risk of trivialising very serious crimes on social media, and losing the experiences of countless women unable to tell their stories.

Perhaps this hashtag really will mark a change of attitudes towards sexual assault. Maybe it really will cause more men to stop and question their behaviours and the question what constitutes assault in the first instance.  However, without raising awareness and pointing a finger at those responsible, and ensuring we are making an example of their abhorrent behaviour by prosecuting them under criminal law, we are feeding into the exact climate of victim shaming which the Daily Mail is so desperately trying to encourage.

Knowing that the very fundamental right of autonomy over their own body was stripped away from them by another is a much more exhausting, crippling and relentless experience than we can imagine. For someone not to want to share their story - a story that may have resulted in losing their sense of self, confidence and ability to trust - so publically over social media doesn’t mean they haven’t suffered.

While the #MeToo hashtag has raised awareness of how widespread sexual harassment really is, it is worth questioning why the trend once again puts victims in the spotlight, and leaves the perpetrators free of the consequences of their horrific actions.

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About author

Gemma is a freelance journalist based between Leeds and Belfast. She works as a features writer for Belfast based arts and culture publication CultureHUB Magazine.