By Olivia Pocat
Lately, sexual harassment and sexual assault has been confronted based on a recent study in the United Kingdom. This investigation was lead by UN Women UK and shows that 97% of women between the ages of 18 and 24 have experienced sexual harassment, 70% of which was in a public place. Other studies from this same foundation prove that 9 out of 10 women feel unsafe in public places and 96% of women never even reported their incident because they felt that it wouldn’t change the outcome of their situation. Instead, women have started to share their stories on social media.
For a while now, Instagram accounts have surfaced where students from certain schools can share their stories anonymously. The Instagram account then posts the story so the community can understand the problem and take action. One of these accounts is @metoolghs, for Los Gatos High School. With over 3,000 followers, this account has reached many people, creating a widespread impact on the community. At least every other week, this account shares someone’s story, and constantly shares informative videos and words of support to survivors. Another account similar to this one is @metooshs. This account is meant for survivors from Saratoga High School to share their stories. An account for Monta Vista survivors has also emerged: @metoomvhs. It is another safe place for people to share their stories. These accounts have confronted the issues of sexual harassment, especially the reasons why students and women have been afraid to share their stories.
Students have also started to share their stories on their personal accounts. When a couple people started to share their stories, it inspired others to also come forward. People post about their stories and what happened. Whether they were harassed by a close friend, a stranger, or anyone else, some kids have felt brave enough to share their stories, inspiring others to come forward as well. Some people had never told anyone their stories before, and others had only told close friends. It’s incredible that people have been able to be brave and create a positive impact on the community. The research and Instagram pages have been beneficial to thousands of women, and some men, to bravely share their stories and experiences.