#metoo Encourages Victims
Written by Andrew-Rossi on March 7, 2018
A national movement encouraging victims to speak out about sexual harassment has had a positive impact locally.
The hashtag #MeToo movement has swept not only the nation, but the world, encouraging victims of sexual harassment and other forms of bullying and predation to speak out against their oppressors. Lisa Peterman with Crisis Intervention Services in Cody says that the #metoo movement has helped victims of assault find the courage to come forward.
The movement began last fall after dozens of women accused Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse. Since then, the number of calls reporting sexual crimes jumped 25 percent in November as compared to the previous year, and another 30 percent in December. That’s according to information from a national crisis hotline.
The #metoo movement has been cited as the reason two women came forward to accuse former Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray of sexual harassment and assault, based on incidents that occurred back in the 1980s.
