In society, sexual assault has become a prevalent issue, and this act of violence only seems to be getting worse. Sexual assault is a category for different notions of sexual activities including unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment and rape. When it comes to these acts, it does not matter if the person knows the perpetrator; it is sexual assault when a person does not give consent.
Recently, more than 55 victims have recently spoken out against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein for alleged sexual assault; however, some of these instances occurred decades ago. These victims were afraid that if they were to speak out on these traumatic experiences that their careers would be in jeopardy. Because of the outstanding number of victims speaking out against Weinstein, other victims from around the world have begun to speak out on social media about their experiences with the “Me Too” movement.
People like Weinstein are the reason many of these assaults go unreported. Victims tend to live in silence in fear of what would be to come if they were to report their assaulter. Those who assault make their victims feel inferior; therefore, the victims will feel embarrassed and blame themselves for the tragedy. In some cases, victims are discredited for their reports and are not taken seriously. At times, there are false allegations; however, this should not have an impact on community attitudes in response of these serious accusations. According to the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, an organization dedicated to halting sexual assaults, roughly two percent of the sexual assaults reported in the nation end up being false.
Many times, sexual assault is trivialized because “boys will be boys”, and the victims “had it coming” because of their appearances. This victim blaming concept is allowing the perpetrators to feel less accountable while the victims are forced to feel guilty.. It is never the victim’s fault; however, society has created a rape culture where sexual assault has become normalized.
To make matters worse, Hollywood portrays men as the dominant figure in a relationship, while women are the submissive; furthermore, this stereotype influences those who are viewing the film. Along with gender superiority, some say that men who are assaulted were assaulted because they were weak. A person cannot control if they were being taken advantage of. If an adolescent were to watch a television show or movie about rape, this young person could begin to believe that sexual assault is acceptable.
This is a cause that needs to be dealt with rather than being swept under the table. Sexual assault is not acceptable. Hollywood needs to put a halt to sexual violence behind the scenes and on television and movie screens.
