From Silence to Visual Resistance: A Study of #WhyIDidntReport Posts on Instagram

Victims of sexual violence increasingly turn to social media platforms not merely as alternatives to legal reporting, but as spaces where new forms of justice and disclosure are being invented. Rather than functioning solely as platforms for testimony, these digital arenas facilitate a shift from silence to agency, transforming the act of disclosure into a visual and political statement. This study analyzes social media posts by victims of sexual violence, employing a multimodal methodology to examine Instagram posts from the #WhyIDidntReport campaign, spanning 2018 to 2022. We found that textual and visual expressions in victims' narratives complement each other. The textual analysis reveals explicit barriers to reporting, such as prior relationships with perpetrators, being a minor at the time of the assault, lack of clarity on where to report, and fear of societal judgment. These barriers highlight the complex psychological and systemic hurdles victims face, emphasizing the need for reforms in institutional support systems. In contrast, the visual analysis sheds light on how survivors reclaim voice and visibility, not just by telling their stories but by carefully choosing how they are seen. This is expressed through the strategic use of hashtags, controlled identity exposure, handwritten declarations, and public displays.