#MaybeHeDoesntHitYou shines a light on the many forms of abuse

Twitter has every type of hashtag – the good, the comical, the inane and the downright ugly, but #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou is probably one of the most poignant hashtags ever to be created on the social media platform. Focussing on non-violent abuse, the hashtag talks about the uglier, less-visible sides to abuse – sexual, emotional, psychological, financial and so many more.

Writer and artist Zahira Kelly started the hashtag #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou after deciding to use it to share her truth – and the experiences of other women that had been shared with her – with the world.

The movement took on a life of its own and very soon, women were forthcoming with their own stories of abuse; making for very heartbreaking and saddening reading.

There have been tweets from men suggesting that the title of the hashtag in itself does not encompass the abuse encountered by men, and it is fair enough to note that perhaps it is men who are more likely to suffer from non-violent acts of abuse. #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou, however, was started by a woman who probably did not expect it to strike the nerve it did, hence the pronoun used. Be that as it may, there is no denying that men do suffer from abuse too, and are often a neglected part of this fight for freedom from tyranny.

Below are 10 of some of the most moving tweets to arise from this hashtag. This serves, not just as a talking point, but a means to teach us that whenever something feels wrong or robs us of our humanity, it is abuse – even if it does not come clothed in its conventional sense.

Love does not hurt.

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https://twitter.com/BeccaJollyy/status/730080151124447232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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https://twitter.com/afrosypaella/status/729397877424840704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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https://twitter.com/THAT_onegirlA/status/730068950604599296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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