Why don't more women come forward?
"It's too bad more women don't speak up or come forward when they are assaulted." I hear it time and again. People think that if more women spoke out against their assailants that the environment would change and everyone would be more compassionate towards the victims. Sadly, I know first hand why women choose to not only stay quiet initially, but permanently as well. It is the exact reason I chose to stay quiet about my assault and now that its out in the open, my worst fears have manifested all over news and social media. Victims are publicly crucified when they come out. They not only suffer emotional and sometimes physical trauma from the assault itself, but once they come forward, they are raked over the proverbial coals by people they have never met, some whom they have met once or twice, and sometimes even their closest "friends." People take a personal stance against the victim and call them names, accuse them of ulterior motives, post slan