We Need to Stop Victim Shaming

When practically out of the blue, Stephen Collins (of TV's Seventh Heaven fame) was accused of being a pedophile for years, it was a shock to most who knew him as a TV family man, but not once did I hear anyone accuse the children, now adults, of making it up.  When famous individuals live a second life behind doors and those doors are opened and aired out in a public forum, it is difficult for many to wrap their head around it.  Audiences grew up to him being a Pastor and excellent father/husband on his show, therefore it was difficult to think of his sexually assaulting children all of those years he was being a staple of the family man and father on TV.
Now allegations are being aired about Bill Cosby, also known as a family man on TV, and a great comedian.  These are grown women who are making allegations, not children.  Comedians are coming out saying there has been rumblings, underground allegations since the 1970's or so about the comedian being a "ladies man", which is a nice way to say to say he allegedly forced sexual acts on women??  As more and more women come out, talking about being drugged, given alcohol, and not remembering certain things, or just the straight up he came into my dressing room and forced himself on me saying he could better my career, people are coming out victim shaming these women.
People wonder why women don't come forward with any rape or sexual assault allegations because all they do is get attacked.  They made it up, what were they wearing, they went back to his house, what were they drinking, were they on drugs, etc etc etc.  What about the man inviting them back to his place expecting it to end only one way, supplying the booze and drugs, not letting the women leave until he got what he wanted.  No one talks about that.  No one says how horrible to be a young woman and interacting with a man you admire on TV leads to you being assaulted in the most heinous way.
It happens at Universities with date rape dissecting everything the woman was doing, wearing, saying, and acting.   This can work both ways as there have been men that have accused women of raping them and they get laughed at.  People say how can a woman rape a man?  He had to have wanted it. It makes no one come forward and no one be held accountable for the crimes.
No person should have to be put through the terror of being assaulted and then have it happen over and over again once they speak up.  Although social media has been great in many ways, it can also be harmful.  People can hurt a person again and again with hateful, ignorant comments making the person relive the experience and regret ever bringing it to light in the first place.  Then the cycle continues.  People will end up just staying silent so they don't have to be put through all the ridicule and horrible comments said to them.
There are some great sites, TV shows, and forums rallying around the women trying to stop the victim shaming.  I just hope that more people follow suit, victims need all the support they can get.