Twitter becomes a global abuse hotline: #ididnotreport

Twitter users around the world have lit up the microblogging service all day with confessions of rape, abuse, and harassment that they failed to report to authorities. The #ididnotreport trend seems to have started outside of the United States — most likely in the U.K., based on the volume of tweets and related discussion of International Women’s Day-– by advocates hoping to break the silence and stigma attached to abuse.

While most of the tweets focus on sexism and violence against women, the #ididnotreport phenomenon is timely and relevant in the U.S. as the trial of accused serial child abuser Jerry Sandusky, the disgraced former Penn State University football coach whose monstrous alleged rapes against young boys transpired over decades, gets underway.

Here’s a sample of the moving confessionals and reactions to #ididnotreport crossing the Twitter wire.

https://twitter.com/#!/thefworduk/status/179290940547149825

https://twitter.com/#!/elelibs/status/179394743443263488

https://twitter.com/#!/MissEllieMae/status/179328402724102145

https://twitter.com/#!/MediocreDave/status/179376525043445761

https://twitter.com/#!/BethanyKulig/status/179377607127732224

https://twitter.com/#!/sargoth/status/179369392763707392

https://twitter.com/#!/GwendyRN/status/179379968340541441

https://twitter.com/#!/JenBanksYEG/status/179346231670222848

https://twitter.com/#!/liannedemello/status/179376947149811712

https://twitter.com/#!/errabund/status/179381159157968896

https://twitter.com/#!/KyleaKilleen/status/179382315426922496

https://twitter.com/#!/SocraticMrMeth/status/179380818299469824

https://twitter.com/#!/Original_Cindy/status/179382256333369345

https://twitter.com/#!/etesla/status/179393157966991361

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https://twitter.com/#!/Krissie_r/status/179387049294573568

https://twitter.com/#!/kaeti/status/179395147593818112

https://twitter.com/#!/gingerlee/status/179377842000363522

https://twitter.com/#!/heidiknits/status/179393435625717760

As a counterpart, the #ididreport hashtag broke out on Twitter to expose some of the consequences of blowing the whistle…sometimes encouraging, sometimes not:

https://twitter.com/#!/Rhube/status/179299467676237824

https://twitter.com/#!/neutrondecay/status/179369692752904194

https://twitter.com/#!/wr3n/status/179395660150341633

https://twitter.com/#!/kirbly/status/179389032797700097

https://twitter.com/#!/spiritwriter66/status/179277114321813505

https://twitter.com/#!/cori_is/status/179383373414936576