“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. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn  date, time, and place!”

This was a statement tweeted by President Donald Trump in response to the sexual assault allegations made against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Ford claimed that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her in high school, but Trump stated that the amount of time elapsed between the alleged incident and the time reported was an indicator that Ford’s statements were either exaggerated or fabricated.

Many people, however, understood Ford’s decision to wait 37 years before making the allegations. Victims who report their assailants are heavily scrutinized and are often assigned blame for being assaulted.

In response to Trump’s opinion, thousands of people brought forth their personal stories, using the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport, to share their own experiences with sexual harassment or assault, and what kept them from reporting the incidents.

Lili Reinhart, a popular actress on “Riverdale,” revealed that a man of power took advantage of her, and tweeted that she did not report “because I didn’t want to lose my job or make people think I was a drama queen. #WhyIDidntReport”.

There were a multitude of reasons victims stayed silent. Some needed time to process trauma, some were worried about being accused of lying and some were not even aware that what they had experienced was actually assault.

For ages, there has been a stigma around sexual assault. False claims of sexual assault are rare ー between 2 and 7 percent, according to the American Psychology Association.

Nevertheless, people are afraid to speak the truth and risk being called a liar or attention-seeker. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, two of every three sexual assaults are not reported to the police.  The fear of being put in the public eye can keep people quiet, regardless of the validity of their claims.

This was not the first hashtag revolving around sexual assault to ignite internet conversations: Other notable hashtags such as #MeToo, #TimesUp and #WhyIStayed have been circulating for years. Through hashtags like these, victims tell their stories and provide rationale to dispute inevitable victim-shaming.

These hashtags have provided people with an outlet for their feelings, and they have united people globally as serious issues are brought to light. Some believe hashtags are paving the way to real change; others think that internet discussion does nothing proactive to battle the issue of sexual assault, if it is not followed by major action.

But in reality, these hashtags are already starting to change toxic rape culture. By giving victims a way to share their experiences, there is less of a stigma around reporting their abuse. Fewer and fewer people have to fear being antagonized as a result of speaking up.

These hashtags have also been associated with hashtags rallying for gender equality, such as #ShePersisted, #HeForShe and #WomensReality. These hashtags aim to highlight the discrimination against women, and urge everyone to strive toward a more equal future.

Something as simple as a hashtag has proved powerful enough to provide people with the confidence to share their stories. Slowly but surely, people are realizing they are not alone in their struggles, and that they have a community to turn to in a time of need.