If you’ve been on twitter and noticed trending hashtags, you’ll notice that #metoo is among them. The campaign was started by activist Tarana Burke to create empathy among survivors and support for victims, but the #metoo movement on social media was catalyzed by @Alyssa_Milano, who posted a picture encouraging victims of sexual assault or abuse to reply to the tweet with their story and the hashtag #metoo. The trend was started in light of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and continues through the newly breaking sexual assault stories.

The movement started as a way to bring awareness to the severity of sexual assault, by illustrating the magnitude of the issue. But as it continued, it proved to serve many purposes. It provides a source of strength and unity for women/men who were once victims of sexual abuse and it emboldens people to come forward and speak about their experiences in a supportive environment; this creates a mass of first person accounts against sexual assault and shows how social media can unify others in support of positive improvement.

The trend spread to Facebook and Instagram, as others caught wind and wanted to share their experiences. Social media has also given a voice to movements of similar magnitude and importance like the #blacklivesmatter movement. The importance of the hashtag is that it creates a unifying bond and the usage of it creates a conversation on topics previously swept under the rug or outright ignored. For those who need support, or help, #metoo is an empowering movement for victims of sexual abuse.

Celebrities have also come forward to share their stories using the #metoo hashtag. Anna Paquin, Gabrielle Union, Lupita Nyong’o, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon, and other actresses willing to come forward. The list of actresses who were once intimidated by Hollywood misogyny to speak up, but find support in the movement, continues to expand. Many celebrities who came forward using the #metoo hashtag admitted to once being afraid of coming forward, due to consequences that their career may suffer. Many cited “hireability” as their biggest fear, as many actresses may not be hired if conflict with directors or other workers in Hollywood comes to light, even though it may not be their fault.

Overall, the trend is nothing but positive. It gives a voice to those silenced and it empowers victims to realize that their trauma was not their fault. It also highlights the issues of silencing victims for the sake of the abuser and shows how women’s issues are so often ignored. Issues that impact survivors like victim blaming and sympathy for the abuser are rampant in American society, as shown in the highly publicized Brock Turner case, and now in the Harvey Weinstein case. The persisting questions such as “why didn’t they come forward sooner?” and other victim blaming questions like “what were you wearing at the time” hopefully are silenced as people view the thread of tweets and realize that sexual abuse is never the victim’s fault, and that other factors impact the victim after the abuse occurs, like intimidation.

However, the trend is only the tip of the iceberg. The thread only highlights the abuse to those still brave enough to speak out against their abusers. Many still live in fear or trauma as a result of their abuse and have not reported their abuse as a result.

Still, the message remains: sexual abuse is an an issue. It’s impossible to ignore it when every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Until we address the problem and give a voice to the victims, it will continue to persist. #Metoo serves as a hopeful message perpetuated by victims that hope that their stories will motivate legislators and society to begin taking more action to prevent this.