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Claire Savage

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

February 16, 2018

Topic Proposal: Apart Silenced, Together Heard

Introduction/Overview

The topic I am interested in involves the rising number of reports from individuals of

sexual abuse and harassment. I am focusing my research on why many of the encounters that

happened months, and even years earlier, are just now being reported. In the past few years,

numerous news sources have publicized the stories told by victims of sexual abuse and

harassment across the United States. Some of the stories reported are addressing cases from as

far back as 20 years ago. What made victims want to speak up now, and why did it take this long

to do so? These questions are some of the counterpoints made by the accused individuals,

arguing that the victim’s inability to report the alleged abuse when it “occurred”, falsifies their

claims. This is why I am interested in this topic. The story that caught my attention was the

recent reports involving the U.S.A. Gymnastics program and one of their staff members. I

became interested in why over 100 girls with accounts that spanned over 20 years just now spoke

up.

To learn more about my topic I started with this case and the allegations made against

Larry Nassar, the former Olympic trainer. I focused on the coverage provided by the Lansing

State Journal and Indy Star of the USA Today Network, and the timeline provided leading up to

his incarceration. After numerous allegations that were “failed to be reported” or never reported

to anyone since 1997, Rachael Denhollander, a former gymnast, was the first person to press on.
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In 2016, she filed a complaint against Nassar, stating that at the age of 15, she was sexually

abused during lower back treatments in 2000. It wasn’t until her report that another gymnast filed

a civil lawsuit against Nassar for abuse that lasted from 1994-2000. These events brought to light

over 100 more allegations against the trainer. For my research I have focused on the victims’

responses for why they did not come forward. During my research of this specific abuser, I found

many of the allegations were reported at the time they occurred, but no action was taken by the

officials or adults told. I also looked into databases for child abuse and sexual assault finding the

number of cases reported by children under 18, college students, and adults in the workplace.

The library database and JSTOR have provided promising articles that help explain the

psychological aspect behind victims not speaking up. I also found other online sources like CNN

and Google Scholar have been very insightful because of the increase publication of encounters.

For example, from Google Scholar, I found that according to the National Sexual Violence

Resource Center (NSVRC), rape is the most under-reported crime. While 63% of all cases are

actually reported to the authorities, only 12% of cases involving victims under the age of 18 are

reported. On college campuses, more than 90% of cases are not reported. Why are victims afraid

to voice their experiences? David Lisak, a member of the Department of Psychology at the

University of Massachusetts Boston explains in Symposium on False Allegations of Rape, that

the story of the boy who yelled wolf is affecting victims coming forward. Even though only 2-

10% of allegations are found to be false, these rare accounts are put under the magnifying glass

of society and used to silence those who want to come forward. The fear of being called a liar is

keeping victims from reporting their cases.

I have noticed the general opinion others have of victims is that they instigated the assault

and “asked for it”. In my own collegiate setting, I was informed about a girl experiencing these
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opinions. She was being shunned by her fellow peers because she came forward about an assault

and it resulted in a fraternity being removed from campus. Because she found the courage to

speak up and take action, others were angry at her for making their Saturday nights less

entertaining. The part that I still wonder about is the way the encounter was interpreted.

According to the people who were recalling the night it occurred, the girl was acting flirtatious

towards the other person all night, so even though she did not consent to what he did, she

“basically” was leading him to think he could do what he wanted. The way society views the

victims is not helping those who have experienced sexual trauma come forward.

This topic is something that has been widely argued in part because of sexual stereotypes

and standards. As previously mentioned, many people in our society seek to share the blame

between the victim and alleged abuser. Women are often criticized by men and even other

women about what they were wearing, if they had consumed any drugs or alcohol, and if their

attitude towards the abuser was “flirtatious”. Feminists are one of the groups trying to change

this perception, however it’s not just happening to women. Rape happens to men too but because

masculinity is so heavily stressed, to report being raped is to risk your masculinity. If a man

reports they did not want to have sex with a woman, they may be called “gay”. The opinion I am

hoping to have my audience understand is the victim is never to blame. Because a good

percentage of society disagrees, victims are forced to be silenced out of fear. The population of

victims is global and spreads beyond our knowledge due to the low number of reports. Many

news centers have given their coverage of these cases. This includes, MSNBC, CNN, The New

York Times, etc. Social media has also weighed in on how they feel about who is telling the

truth. Everyone wants to cover the unheard voices and everyone wants to give an opinion on

events that they did not witness.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

Has sexual abuse and harassment become more prevalent, or have more victims started to

speak up? Is the U.S. justice system going to address how reports of sexual abuse are handled?

What actions are going to be required in professional settings to make sure the number of cases

are to be decreased?

My Interest in this Topic

I am interested in this topic because I have personally experienced sexual abuse. Even

though both encounters happened over a year ago, I still have not found the courage to tell my

parents. I am intrigued however on how other victims have found that courage. My own silence

has resulted from fear of how others will react, my relation to the people, how one of them being

an ex-boyfriend would affect how serious I would be taken, and for fear that I would receive

blame. My research to find out why others have remained silence is to bring awareness as well as

a way to empower myself to come forward with other stories.

Next Steps

I am looking to research more larger cases that have taken place over the past few years

and to focus on the public’s reaction and opinions as well as the victims’ reasoning for waiting to

come forward. Many news sources like CNN and FOX News give differing opinions on

allegations especially when they are made about our current president. Court room narratives and

witness statements can potentially be great sources as well. I also want to use the library

databases, specifically JSTOR, to find articles that provide insight on the psychological and
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sociological aspects of why victims stay silent. Social media is also going to be a big source

because of how opinionated people are allowed to be. Comments off of news articles and official

statements are an important indication of how the public feels about the victim and the accused.