Indeed, there are many reasons why victims of sexual assault may hesitate to speak out immediately after an incident.
Society tends to blame victims — female victims, in particular — for what happens to them, Moses told Live Science. In several recent rape cases, for example, the victim was accused of "ruining" the man who committed the assault, Moses said.
Instances such as these demonstrate that there's still a lopsided nature to our society and that women are devalued, Moses said.
There's also an outdated cultural belief that "good women don't get raped," Moses said. Such beliefs can lead victims to think that the sexual assault might have been their own fault, she said. People ask victims questions such as, "Why were you in that place at that time?" and "Why did you go to that person's room?" Such questions can shift the blame to the victim rather than the perpetrator, she said.