Women Are Sharing Their Assault Stories And It’s Shocking How Common It Is (20 Tweets)

With the rise of the #metoo movement in recent years and a string of high-profile cases, it appears that we as a society are finally getting to grips with an insidious yet heartbreakingly common issue – invasive, aggressive and unwanted sexual advances.

Previously, people who experienced this scary and dehumanizing behavior have been implicitly encouraged to either ignore it or simply accept it as ‘normal’ – our collective refusal to face up to the problem has been the main cause of this. Lame excuses like ‘boys will be boys,’ or ‘it’s just because he likes you,’ leave many victims feeling like everything was somehow their own fault, so they instead have to suffer in silence along with feelings of guilt and shame.

Women (and also some men) are staying silent no longer.

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Image credits: KenidraRWoods_

Image credits: KenidraRWoods_

After Twitter user KenidraRWoods asked women to speak up, the responses came in heartbreakingly large numbers.

According to a study by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), an American is sexually assaulted every 92 seconds – sexual violence and its normalization is a problem that is deeply rooted in our culture.

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Many men joined in the conversation, shocked by the everyday experiences that women are faced with and vowing to help address the issue through understanding, education and the willingness to confront inappropriate sexual behavior when they see it.

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