Key Concepts To Take From The #MeToo Movement
The #MeToo movement became popular in 2017 as a social movement directed against sexual abuse and sexual harassment led by survivors. The movement had a significant impact on bringing to light the impact of sexual abuse. With its prevalence worldwide, the #Me Too movement offers several lessons on consent, mental health, and abuse prevention.
Before 2017, Tarana Burke, an American activist, founded the Me Too movement in 2006. The goal of her movement was to support survivors of sexual violence while promoting awareness of sexual abuse. What started as a personal mission for Tarana Burke has become a loud statement for survivors everywhere.
One way to understand the #Me Too movement is by highlighting sexual violence, understanding common themes associated with sexual violence, and disrupting the systems that perpetuate this issue. The lessons of the #MeToo movement can be critical to dismantling sexual violence and the themes it may thrive in.
Understanding sexual violence and the #MeToo movement
Continued societal patterns of sexual violence are the main themes in the rise of the #MeToo movement. One of the common themes associated with sexual violence has been power discrepancies, and the #Me Too movement has discussed these discrepancies publicly to bring awareness to social inequalities.
Many people involved in the #MeToo movement have come forward with their own stories of experiencing sexual violence in the past. In many of these stories, a person with power acts in explicitly harmful ways. Many survivors may feel afraid of speaking up due to the threatened loss of their jobs, status, connections, and sources of livelihood.
The #MeToo movement is about empowering survivors through empathy and strength in numbers. Before the movement, sexual violence and mistreatment were often dismissed or disregarded. With the rise of this movement, high-profile celebrities and politicians have started to come out with their stories, showcasing that sexual abuse can happen to anyone from any walk of life. Seeing prolific people come out with their stories may also help those who feel scared in their communities to tell their stories.
One of the lessons brought to light through this movement is how deeply it affects marginalized people and marginalized communities and the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace. Additionally, the hashtag #MeToo has been a call to action for many to intervene and speak up in workplaces where harassment occurs.
The #MeToo movement is about survivors speaking up against shame and stigma, standing up against sexual violence, and ensuring that anyone who tries to perpetuate this mistreatment is held fully and legally accountable.
What does the #MeToo movement teach about mental health?
Mental health services and solutions may be helpful for those who are a part of the #MeToo movement, such as survivors or people who have experienced trauma. Because part of the movement's mission is to support and uplift survivors, it also advocates for receiving proper mental health support after abuse. Below are a few lessons the #Me Too movement teaches about mental healthcare.
Connect with others about your story
The value of a robust, loving support system can be significant for mental health. Countless studies have shown that close bonds with other human beings can help individuals foster resilience and cope with challenges. A support system may also reduce the likelihood of experiencing depression and other mental health issues exacerbating loneliness.
After sexual violence or abuse occurs, survivors may feel isolated and confused. Telling your story to someone you trust or reaching out to a community of survivors may be valuable. You can also receive social support through a therapist or group dedicated to coping with trauma and moving forward.
Practice self-care
Like having a robust, loving support system, practicing self-care often positively impacts mental health. For some, getting caught up in work responsibilities, commitments to others, and family challenges can make it seem that self-care isn't possible. However, self-care can be done in minor steps. You don't have to start with every task you'd like to get done. Minor steps can be beneficial as you learn how to prioritize your mental health.
For survivors, practicing self-care can be essential at any point in life, whether the event occurred years or days ago. Consider being gentle with yourself, practicing hygiene habits, and talking to someone if you struggle to get through the day.
Connect with a professional
The pain accompanying sexual violence might not disappear by discussing it with others in your community. Although the # MeToo movement can help survivors get their stories out and find justice, healing through therapy may also be beneficial. Talking about your abuse or experience may cause traumatic memories to arise.
Therapy often goes hand in hand with mental health and helping people overcome past challenges, including those involving sexual violence. You're not alone, and professional support is available to you.
Counseling options
The #MeToo movement may help survivors know that help is available and that they're not alone. However, it might bring up challenging thoughts and feelings. Therapy can further reinforce mental health for survivors, no matter where they may be in their journey. However, it may not be uncommon for trauma survivors to feel alone, isolated, and depressed. These symptoms can make it challenging to reach out for help from an in-person therapist or make a commute.
If you're facing barriers to therapy, you might find online counseling through a platform like BetterHelp beneficial. One German study discovered that online therapy options produced significant changes in mental health symptoms for those who had experienced trauma. Reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, an improved mood, and other changes may all be possible with the help of a mental health professional.
In addition, if you choose online therapy, you may find extra benefits like online worksheets, resources, journaling, and webinars. Depending on your preferences and needs each week, you can also connect with your therapist over the phone, video, or message. If you want greater control over your healing, online therapy may offer that distance to allow you to go at your own pace.
Takeaway
What started the #MeToo movement?
Community activist Tarana Burke coined the term when working with young survivors of sexual abuse. A victim of childhood sexual abuse herself, Burke found that using the phrase “me too” helped assure children who were sexually abused that they were not alone in what they had experienced.
In 2017, the movement grew to include awareness about workplace sexual harassment and sexual abuse of women, particularly in the workplace, when news reports of sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein broke. Actress Alyssa Milano asked people to respond to a tweet with “me too” if they had been harassed or sexually assaulted, and the movement soon spread globally.
When did the #MeToo movement start?
Me Too started as survivor leadership; it dates back to 2006 when Tarana Burke coined the term when working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Selma, Alabama. In 2017, the movement expanded and went global when Alyssa Milano posted a tweet that read, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write me too as a reply to this tweet.”
Why did the # MeToo movement fail?
There are a lot of opinions about how successful the # MeToo movement was. It can be challenging to quantify its success, and many would argue that there is still a lot to be done, but the movement is generally not considered a failure.
What is the benefit of the # MeToo movement?
One benefit of the # MeToo movement is that people in positions of power, like celebrities and politicians, have spoken out about their experiences and shown that sexual abuse can happen to anyone. Seeing these stories and the stories of the other survivors and young women who have told them can help people who are scared to speak up about their own experiences and even report harassment.
What did the # MeToo movement accomplish?
Me Too accomplished many things, including letting many survivors know that they aren’t alone. The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund is another positive that came out of the # MeToo movement. This fund was set up to seek justice and fight discrimination, sexual harassment, and assault and is handled by the National Women’s Law Center, which pairs alleged victims with local attorneys.
How has the # MeToo movement affected the workplace?
Laws that have resulted from Me Too are directly affecting the workplace. Some states, like New York, Maine, California, and Delaware, have enacted new training requirements about sexual harassment and reporting harassment. New laws have also been enacted to eliminate nondisclosure agreements that hide harassment.
How did the # MeToo movement affect society?
Me Too has brought to light the power discrepancies and social inequalities that can contribute to sexual violence. Many people have come forward with their own stories, highlighting how difficult it can be to come forward due to feeling threatened by the loss of their jobs and other things they need for their livelihood. Seeing people from all walks of life, including celebrities and people in positions of power, come forward with their own stories may have helped those who feel scared feel more ready to come forward and tell their stories.
How is BetterHelp connected to the #MeToo movement?
The # MeToo movement can support survivors as they get their stories out and make them feel less alone, but some survivors may need help getting over the pain that can accompany sexual violence. BetterHelp therapists can help people overcome challenges, including those that involve sexual violence or sexual misconduct.
Why is it important to have harassment awareness?
Harassment awareness can help people learn what to look for to identify harassment, particularly in the workplace. Employees may feel more like a team, and the increased feeling of safety can lead to higher confidence and increased productivity. Awareness can help people understand how it affects those who experience sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual contact and may encourage them to change their behavior.
What are the weaknesses of #MeToo?
The #MeToo movement on social media does have its weaknesses. White female voices were significantly overrepresented in the Tweets in the first week of the rise of the #MeToo movement; other women were underrepresented. Studies have shown that there were just as many negative posts about #MeToo on Reddit and Twitter as there were positive ones, that there were concerns about the consequences of false accusations of sexual assault, and that people weren’t being treated as innocent until proven guilty. Ultimately, researchers concluded that “rape culture persists despite the #MeToo Movement and needs to continue to be addressed in future research and interventions.”
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