Speaking up against sexual abuse is hard – #MeToo changes that

A sign from one of the SlutWalk protest marches, which reads "Still not asking for it"

Speaking out is often easier in a group

Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty

In the wake of the scandal over a series of sexual assault allegations that have been hurled at the media mogul Harvey Weinstein, an online movement has begun. Millions of women are sharing their stories of sexual harassment and abuse using the hashtag #MeToo, which rose to prominence after a tweet by actor Alyssa Milano.

Scrolling through Twitter or Facebook, it is striking just how many of my colleagues and friends say they have been sexually abused or harassed. If the scale of the problem is this huge, why

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