It's common for survivors of sexual assault to wait to come forward , or not to come forward publicly at all, because they fear they won't be believed or will experience retaliation from the perpetrator. Sharing details about a traumatic encounter inherently requires you to trust that other people will be responsible with your story, which is understandably difficult for survivors. And this is especially true when the situation involves a high-ranking individual with a public position, says Kristen Houser , MPA, of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. Plus, judging by the way Anita Hill was treated in 1991 when she accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court, it's not at all surprising that Ford initially wanted to keep her identity private.