Societal Response to Sexually 'Naive' Victims: #WhyIDidntReport
The injustice of restricting sexual education
Survivors of sexual violence face significant barriers to formally reporting to law enforcement. These may include retraumatization, retaliation by the perpetrator, community invalidation, reputational harm, and understandable fear that the justice system won’t do anything to help or protect them1. This fear stems from a general shame around sexual abuse and a pervasive societal myth that victims should’ve somehow known better2.
But what about those who are purposefully, systemically not taught better? The ones who aren’t sexually literate enough to understand consent or to be familiar with the reporting options after assault3? What about the ones too young, inexperienced, traumatized, or societally indoctrinated to understand the assault or the process of reporting? What are we doing to improve on our systemic failure to protect these vulnerable groups?
According to RAINN, only about 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. Of those reported, only 25 perpetrators will actually face any time in jail.
The intentional withholding of comprehensive sexual education from vulnerable populations isn't just an oversight - it's a systemic failure that perpetuates cycles of abuse. When we deny people knowledge about their bodies, boundaries, and healthy relationships, we're removing a critical layer of protection.
This article uses public data provided by #WhyIDidntReport to analyze systemic reasons for gaps in sexual literacy and their contributions to non-reporting of assault.
#WhyIDidntReport: “Women, you have to treat them like shit”
Hashtags regarding sexual violence have been used to dispel myths, spread awareness, challenge patriarchal mindsets/victim blaming, and serve as a form of justice when other avenues are out of reach4. #WhyIDidntReport gained popularity in September 2018, after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of a sexual assault that occurred 36 years earlier when the two were in high school5.
President Donald Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh to this position on the highest court in the United States, sent out a Tweet on September 21, 2018 criticizing Ford’s delayed report, writing:
“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.” —(Trump 2018)6
No stranger to being accused of assault himself7, this was hardly the first time Trump had attempted to invalidate or silence a victim. Backlash was swift as over 720,000 survivors took to Twitter [now X] to combat this victim blaming. They shared heartbreaking and deeply personal reasons for not reporting, spotlighting the complexities and barriers of reporting sexual abuse and the profound impact sexual assault has on victims’ lives.
X provided a platform for survivors to organize by sharing stories they may not have felt safe giving voice to elsewhere. Responses gave insight into the many ways victims are expected to meet unrealistic expectations both in their personal lives and responses to trauma:
“The theory posits that only those who are vulnerable and/or unable to defend themselves, completely innocent, have no connection to the accused, and are in possession of ‘acceptable’ identity and behavior prior to the incident, will be acknowledged as ‘real’ victims.” —(Fohring 2021)
This highlighted the many ways victims are blamed for their own lack of knowledge and for deviating from a mythical “perfect victim” mold.
Because the #WhyIDidntReport movement took place largely via social media, researchers of sexual assault gained access to a vast amount of public survivor testimony that would typically remain unreported. This provided valuable insight into hidden figures of sexual violence and the multifaceted reasons survivors choose not to report8.
In her novel, One Way Back, Dr. Ford highlights the struggle many survivors face when considering the potential costs of reporting, the likelihood of backlash, and whether their story is believable enough:
“After all, I wasn’t a perfect person either. Did I really have the right to say something? Kirsten and I sat around for an entire day and told each other all the bad things we’d ever done… We didn’t spell out what we were really doing at the time, but it’s easy to diagnose in hindsight. The patriarchy was in my blood. I was gaslighting myself before anyone else could do it… I was a flawed person who had done a lot of stupid things. Then Kirsten asked, “But did you ever sexually assault someone?” —(Ford 2024)
Dr. Ford’s case shows the real world consequences and lack of support received when abuse is disclosed. This is a prime example of the harm caused by society’s unattainable standard for perfect victims.
“A man’s life is in tatters”: Barriers to reporting
In coming forward about experiences of abuse, survivors face far more risk than reward9. A significant barrier to reporting is a fear of not being believed, and with good reason. Dr. Ford, for example, was publicly humiliated, invalidated, and her entire family endangered after reporting10. This is despite well-established research indicating that false reporting of sexual violence is exceedingly rare11.
Deciding whether to come forward, and to whom, is a deeply personal experience that survivors share. Unfortunately, we also often share a lack of education and support around abuse, resulting a harmful pattern of non-reporting12.
“Blood coming out of her wherever”: Sexual illiteracy, vulnerability, and assault disclosure
How can someone recognize a boundary violation if they've never been taught they have boundaries? How can they report abuse if they lack knowledge of the process, or even the vocabulary to describe what happened?
Sexual literacy refers to the knowledge, skills, and actions needed to maintain sexual well-being and make informed choices regarding their relationships, health, and consent. Sexual literacy can affect both individual and societal attitudes toward sexual behavior, consent, and acceptance of assault disclosures. Many factors may play into a person’s literacy:
“Sexual literacy extends to three core areas of contemporary concern: (1) individual sexuality, identities, and intimate expressions; (2) gender, role and bodily integrity; and (3) institutional relationships, with sexual and gender performatives resonant within social and cultural domains” —(Herdt 2021)
By this measure, sexual illiteracy may include individual or societal perpetuation of harmful attitudes and myths around sexual health and consent. Illiteracy may be due to interwoven factors; including but not limited to age, support system beliefs around sex, and availability of age-appropriate sexual education.
There are circumstances in which education about sex is purposefully withheld in order to manipulate and control victims. Misinformation and internalized feelings of ignorance; whether instilled by a perpetrator, social support, or societal message, also serve as a significant barrier to reporting13.
Sexual illiteracy doesn’t only affect victims; it’s a systemic problem resulting in harmful societal attitudes toward sexual health and support of survivors. Reactions of those who serve as recipients of assault disclosure can impact how the victim feels about the trauma as well as whether survivors feel safe to disclose to anyone again in the future.
“The underreporting of sexual assault further perpetuates a rape culture. Thus, if reactions to disclosures influence, at the very least, some survivors’ decisions to continue or cease disclosure, then providing more specific tools and tactics to how one should respond to a survivor of sexual assault is crucial.” —(Griffin 2022)
Shame and self-blame can compound with other factors of vulnerability; including queer status, age, and race. Victims may be silenced by fears of losing loved ones, jobs, or their reputation if others learned what happened to them14.
Christine Blasey Ford serves as a highly-publicized example of backlash and shaming victims may face if they report. Since the allegations were made public, she and her family have faced an ongoing threat to their safety, reputational attacks, and massive financial burden:
“As I budgeted out what we could afford, I thought how impossible this would be for so many other survivors. If you don’t have the resources, how do you even leave an unsafe situation? If I, with all my privileges, could barely afford to speak out, what did that mean for so many other women?” —(Ford 2024)
Ford’s trauma has been publicly picked apart and discredited by right-wing media outlets. Her private life and flaws have been dragged into the spotlight to chip away at her credibility. She was repeatedly and cruelly mocked by the sitting President of the United States at political rallies, encouraging his loyal followers to do the same.
Meanwhile, on September 28, 2018, just one day after Ford’s testimony, the Senate Judiciary Committee investigating Ford’s allegations moved to advance Kavanaugh to a confirmation hearing, where he was confirmed by a vote of 50-48.
Analyzing systemic reasons for sexual literacy gaps can be useful in advocating for the importance of appropriate sexual education for vulnerable groups. This could include information on consent, formal reporting processes, and support of others who disclose.
The societal phenomenon of judging someone for not knowing something is especially sinister, especially when that knowledge is often intentionally kept out of reach. Withholding this knowledge is a form of systemic oppression. After all, who benefits from the ignorance of potential victims, aside from potential abusers?
“Grab 'em by the pussy”: #WhyIDidntReport under Trump in 2025
As of the time of this writing, Donald Trump, the catalyst for setting the #WhyIDidntReport movement ablaze, has been accused of assaulting at least 27 women. After losing an attempted reelection in 2020, he managed to return to The White House for a second presidential term in January 2025. In the short time he’s been back, he’s been busy attacking anything related to diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI]; women/queer autonomy; and the civil rights of oppressed populations across the board15. This has included defunding and cancellation of research and educational programs related to gender and social justice. He’s been a highly vocal opponent of sexual education in school, feminist history, and any programs that would serve the health of women or other vulnerable populations16. These attacks on civil rights protections harm populations already most at risk, including sexual trauma survivors.
When it comes to hiring for high-ranking federal roles, Trump has been notorious for his unabashed support of candidates with a history of assault, child trafficking, and other crimes17. The success of these actions has emboldened other extremists with similar views to exploit their power. Many oppressed groups are being attacked simultaneously, causing a compounding effect for those who are multiply-marginalized.
“Whether they like it or not”: Research Questions
I analyzed #WhyIDidntReport posts on X to explore patterns related to sexual literacy and assault/abuse, as well as potential benefits and risks of using social media as an avenue for disclosure. Key research questions were:
What, if any, insights related to sexual literacy do survivors of sexual assault share in disclosures regarding the #WhyIDidntReport movement?
What patterns emerge in these sexual literacy gaps?
This research could benefit educators and other advocates in support of filling potentially dangerous knowledge gaps in sexual health and safety. It may also validate those looking to reduce shame and improve social supports and awareness. Social media can assist in this effort by continuing to serve as an empowering tool for connection, information sharing, and research.
“She does have a very nice figure”: Design & Methods
To answer the above questions, I collected a sample of public Tweets and threads using X Advanced Search. Data was collected during the peak of this movement’s popularity, from first use on September 21, 2018 until after Kavanaugh was confirmed, around October 10, 201818. I then conducted a thematic content analysis to establish patterns between sexual illiteracy and reporting of assault.
Snowball sampling was used in order to find #WhyIDidntReport responses related to sexual illiteracy. This method was useful because when one person disclosed an experience related to a certain kind of abuse, in some cases it sparked a thread of similar disclosures.
Each Tweet or thread was tracked in a spreadsheet, where basic organization and analysis was performed in order to eliminate irrelevant data and build a basic descriptive account. This included what was said, without comments or assumptions as to why. Next, a higher level interpretation was performed to discuss inferred or implied meanings, discover patterns, and highlight broader themes.
Ethical Considerations
Research was conducted through analysis of secondary public data available on X through public Tweets. Redactions and minor paraphrasings of Tweets were made in an effort to retain meaning while protecting identities of those whose information was used19. Other identifying info, such as names or Twitter profile handles, were excluded for the sake of privacy.
Findings
The goal in data gathering was to reach a saturation point at which similar stories were repeated often enough to indicate a representative sample. The initial data set included 250 Tweets. Any duplicate Tweets were excluded, as were any Tweets not discussing a user’s personal experience. One exception was if the person was representing a victim in an official capacity; such as a doctor or reporter. Considering the highly targeted population being studied, I felt it was victims’ right to give someone permission to speak for them as a way of reporting if it was how they felt most safe.
Collectively, 91 Tweets were excluded, resulting in a final sample of 159. This subset was first examined broadly for commonly cited reason(s) for not formally reporting. Patterns quickly emerged regarding reported causes of sexual literacy gaps. These were noted in the basic analysis and refined in the high level analysis, with categories of similar themes combined.
Final counts from each category [see Figure 1] can be found below, as well as the percentage of respondents who experienced multiple illiteracies [see Figure 2]. Also included are examples of responses, with minor phrasing and details changed to protect anonymity.
Very nice figure 1
Young age and/or mental capacity
74 respondents [46.5%]
“I was a kid and it was my brother. I didn’t know what was happening was wrong. It wasn’t until other family members came forward that I knew.”
“I didn’t even remember for a year. My brain blocked it out because it was so traumatic and I didn’t know how to process it. It just wouldn’t allow me to look at it. Happens to a lot of survivors.”
Lack of support system and/or guidance
70 respondents [44%]
“My own dad didn’t believe me. I was 4.”
“Told mom about my first assault when I was 8 (it happened when I was 4). She said, "Are you sure? If you tell, they'll be in so much trouble. You want that?"
“My (ex) husband called me a liar and didn't believe me when I told him what a former boyfriend did. It took years to tell anyone else after that.”
Lack of sexual understanding and/or experience:
62 respondents [39%]
“I was 16, so I vaguely knew what sex was. But I was still too young to really understand or have words for what happened to me.”
Societal myth, stereotype, and/or accepted belief
62 respondents [39%]
“Everyone made fun of me. They said rape against boys isn’t as bad and it’s not the same.”
“19*0's - Report and you're a slut/whore who should be shunned. 2018 - You didn’t report what happened in the 19*0's? What a liar.”
Intentional coercion (lie, gaslighting, manipulation, misinformation, etc.) by perpetrator
50 respondents [31.4%]
“He’d get so angry first, then afterward he always cried and begged for forgiveness.”
“I was abused, starting at 13. The assaults didn't start right away… but the grooming and manipulation sure did.”
Lack of understanding of consent
12 respondents [7.5%]
“I was confused and embarrassed. I didn’t know how to say no to the person who said they loved me. When I did try to tell the police I felt belittled and uncomfortable and it only made me feel less sure that what happened wasn’t ok.”
“I thought it was normal. I thought it happened in all relationships.”
“I told him no three times that night, but he wouldn't let up. I thought it was my fault for not saying no a fourth. I didn’t want to seem difficult.
No resources and/or education available in community
10 respondents [6.3%]
“What justice? He was military and we lived together on base. I was away from friends and family. Reporting wouldn’t protect me. It’d waste my time and humiliate me.”
“Because people like the president made it totally acceptable to mock victims and call them liars. Even more assaults will go unreported now. Why should law enforcement take it seriously? Why should anyone believe they’re safe to report?”
Analysis showed 73.4% of victims fell into more than one category of sexual illiteracy. As discussed in earlier research, marginalization in multiple areas may have a compounding effect, leaving victims even more vulnerable to harm.
Very nice figure 2
Of the 350 total illiteracies reported, the average number affecting our sample of 159 was 2.2 per person. The most commonly reported patterns identified around sexual illiteracy and non-reporting involved young age and/or mental capacity [46.5%]; lack of support system and/or guidance [44%]; lack of sexual understanding and/or experience [39%]; and societal myth, stereotype, and/or accepted belief [39%].
Of the total illiteracies reported, 76.6% fell into these four themes. Considering each individually affected about 40-50% of respondents; and that 73.4% of respondents referenced multiple illiteracies; there was a high likelihood of these victims falling into at least one if not more of these top categories. This is consistent with research showing populations facing multiple forms of marginalization at a statistically higher risk of sexual assault.
“She doesn't have the stamina”: Limitations and future research
Tweets are meant to be brief, with each being a maximum of 280 characters. The passive nature of the dataset prevented me from following up or obtaining a comprehensive picture of the participant’s assault history. Because I could only gather information based on what was stated, nothing else can be assumed about whether respondents fell into additional categories.
Collecting data passively also meant that only those who both had an X account, knew about the hashtag, and were comfortable enough sharing their experience publicly at the time were able to participate. This left out experiences of those who felt uncomfortable or unsafe sharing such a personal trauma in this capacity. This is both a common barrier to research of this population and a way this social media movement was helpful for researchers.
In my data collection, I came across many responses that partook in victim blaming, misogynistic attitudes, and the spread of misinformation about sex and consent. Responses not involving a personal experience were typically comments on politics/Dr. Ford’s case rather than attacks on any individual victim disclosure. The public nature of these Tweets allowed more general, yet still harmful, comments to reach other assault victims.
“Is there any question why women don’t come forward when we see how Dr. Ford and Anita Hill are treated before our eyes? This is a reminder to all of us.” —Anonymous respondent
Some potential respondents may have felt deterred from posting due to public backlash toward those who spoke out happening in real time.
Future research may benefit from the study of the identified sexual literacy themes, as well as prevalence and intersectional considerations of specific vulnerable groups. In consideration of the health of participants involved in these kinds of disclosures, additional research should also examine long-term personal and social impacts of disclosing assault via social media.
Conclusion: “She goes out and she yaps”
The patterns revealed in this research aren't just statistics – they represent real people who weren't given knowledge they deserved to protect themselves. So where do we go from here? How do we break the cycle of withholding critical information from those who need it most?
Breaking these cycles requires action at multiple levels. Individually, we can start normalizing conversations around sexual health and consent. We can challenge policies that withhold critical information from vulnerable populations, support survivor-led organizations and resources to fill knowledge gaps, and speak up when we see harmful myths being perpetuated.
Given high rates of victimization and low rates of reporting, it’s vital that those at risk of victimization be equipped with age-appropriate education and resources. This begins with a support system and society versed in the importance of sexual health, consent, and reporting procedures. This is especially important for populations facing multiple forms of oppression, as these groups bear a higher risk of sexual trauma.
As Dr. Ford concluded in her novel: “What I’m finally coming to understand is that being ‘imperfect’ doesn’t disqualify you from speaking out, finding peace, and healing”. Sexual safety and education should be a right provided to everyone, especially those already facing multiple forms of oppression. No one deserves to feel naive, or ashamed for not understanding what happened to them or how to handle the aftermath.
As we continue to see political attacks on education and protections for vulnerable groups, this work becomes even more urgent. We cannot allow ignorance to be weaponized against us any longer—not when so many of us have experienced the cost of that silence.
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