Is everyone scum or does the modern world make it easier to find the bad guys? Recently, the headlines have been dominated by news of celebrities, politicians, and news anchors being accused of sexual harassment and assault. Being a teen, I can only remember and fully understand more recent incidents of this kind. As a child, I did not pay attention or care about the news and was sheltered from talk of sexual crimes. This leads me to wonder, has the world always been filled with so many slimebags? Did they exist but were not outed due to gender oppression? Is there a witch hunt for sexual offenders?

In October of 2017, the hashtag #MeToo went viral on Twitter. Women began to share and encourage the sharing of their experiences with sexual harassment. Ever since social media has been an outlet of empowerment for young women to empathize with each other and understand that they are not alone in their struggles. As a young woman myself, it is comforting to see women speaking out; their words provide hope that tomorrow will be safer.

Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lawrence and Reese Witherspoon - actresses I admire - have all come out to publicly slam their abusers. Their actions are brave and inspiring. However, the countless accusations have also made me more fearful. If so many men that are prevalent in the public eye can be predators, what about normal men on the street who do not fear being caught by the press? Is there an even higher percentage of predators hidden among the average?

Men that were trusted and admired by the world such as Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, and Sen. Al Franken have been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. It seems hard to believe that beloved tv dads, long-running news anchors, and elected senators could commit such disgusting actions.

After the condemnation of Harvey Weinstein, there has been a ripple effect of women coming forward to reveal their experiences with assault. Women who confront their demons and inspire others to do so are changing the world for the better; future generations of young girls will feel more empowered to stand up for what’s right and create a safer environment in social and professional atmospheres.

Although I am frightened by the number of powerful men who have committed actions of sexual propriety in Hollywood and beyond if women continue their endeavor and make their mistreatment known, maybe I will feel less fearful in my everyday life. Walking across campus or to my car at night makes me nervous no matter what. I do fear for the future of my professional life and the sexism that’s prevalent in the workplace.

I am scared for my little sister and my friends away at college.

I believe this is the time to fight harassment and abuse; now is the time to proclaim that sexual assault will no longer be accepted due to social status or gender. My hope is that outing the perpetrators will establish a no tolerance approach to sexual assault and protect women once and for all.