Why Is It So Hard to Report Sexual Assault?

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which brings attention to the reality that sexual violence is widespread but often hidden. Between 70 percent and 90 percent of assaults are never reported to the police, making sexual assault one of the most underreported crimes. Why is this? Recent social media tweets provide some answers.

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In the last decade, awareness of sexual assault has increased as discussions about gender, power, and harassment have become more common. For example, many have come forward to share stories of assault and harassment from well-known political and celebrity figures like Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Shia LaBeouf, and Bill O’Reilly, just to name a few. As people have shared their stories, the outrage against these abuses has grown.

Hashtag Activism Has Amplified Survivors' Voices
This groundswell of protest has been fueled by social media, in what has been called “hashtag activism,” where digital media is used for social change. Social media has amplified the voices of survivors, created space for real-time engagement of societal ills, and provided tools to develop online campaigns. For instance, hashtags have included: #MeToo, #HowIWillChange, #TimesUp, and #ItsOnUs. These initiatives have allowed many who are not in traditional positions of power to seek justice, change, and bring to light stories of assault and the factors that make it difficult to detect.

One surge in the discussion about sexual assault happened in response to a political clash in the U.S. when in 2018 Judge Brett Kavanaugh was nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court by President Donald Trump. During his confirmation hearing in September, sexual assault allegations made against Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford were reported and investigated before the continuation of his confirmation hearing. President Trump came to his defense in a tweet, stating, “I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents.” His claim that the credibility of her report was tied to the timeliness of it sparked an outcry, and on Twitter, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport went viral, as survivors shared their own stories of barriers to reporting.

Cultural Norms Around Gender and Power Can Intimidate Survivors
As a violence researcher, I was interested in these first-person accounts, and along with colleagues, analyzed hundreds of them. We found multiple layers of barriers that make reporting not only difficult but sometimes retraumatizing. Roadblocks include denial, disbelief, and confusion at every level of society. For example, there are cultural norms around gender and power that intimidated survivors. Some tweeted: “I was told ‘boys will be boys.” And, “Because it happened so often to so many girls, women I know, including myself, I thought it was normal behavior and that we just had to take it.” Another said, “I thought admitting I was raped would make me less of a man.”

Others ran into community barriers, including at the workplace: “I was told by HR that I would lose my job if I reported the repeated sexual assault . . . of my co-worker.” At school: “I told a teacher . . . She said, ‘You’re trying to get attention.”’ Others were dismissed in healthcare settings: “I did report my sexual abuse, at age 8, to a doctor, and was told ‘we don’t talk about those things.'” Some were afraid of damaging family relationships, or were criticized by family members: “[I didn’t say anything because] he was a relative . . . I was afraid of upsetting the family . . . When my mother learned about it from reading my journal, she blamed me.” Many were confused, in shock, or otherwise overwhelmed, which thwarted their ability to report. One survivor’s tweet was typical: “I felt like it was my fault, and I was ashamed and didn‘t want anybody to know what happened to me. I felt dirty, used, small, and alone."

These short accounts provide insights into how cultural norms, community institutions, and painful emotions make reporting difficult. It is important to honor these voices and take them seriously to understand and remove barriers, hold perpetrators accountable, and help survivors find healing.