Victims of sexual assault and rape were far more likely to tell the police of their attacks in 2017 than the previous year, according to a government report, a dramatic development for advocates who have long struggled to convince victims to report such crimes.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Criminal Victimization report for 2017 found that incidences of sexual assaults and rapes increased only marginally from 2016 to 2017, from 19.7 per 1,000 residents 12 or older to 20.6 people per 1,000 in 2017. But the reporting of such crimes to police jumped from 23 percent in 2016 to 40 percent the following year.

The report does not offer an explanation for the jump in reporting. But the numbers suggest that the #MeToo movement, which was coined in 2006 and exploded in 2017 with accusations against very prominent people in entertainment, media and politics, is not merely a social media phenomenon.

"There's definitely been a cultural shift," with sexual assault victims becoming more open about their experiences, says Karen Weiss, a sociology professor at West Virginia University who specializes in crime victimization. "I do think it's good news – the victims (reporting) are the first step. You have to report it to get it into the system," Weiss says.

The increased reporting is not necessarily reflective of victims' heightened confidence in the criminal justice system but rather "a confidence in their ability to be heard," Weiss says.

Rape is the most underreported crime, according to the National Sexual Violence Research Center, and without formal complaints to the police, perpetrators cannot be brought to justice. Sex crimes are among the least likely to result in a prison sentence, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, with few than half of one percent of rapists incarcerated.

According to the group's research, many victims opt not to go to the police because they fear retribution, believe police won't – or can't – do anything about it, thought it was a personal matter, or didn't want to get the perpetrator (often known to the victim) in trouble. Victims also often feel a sense of shame, experts note.

"As human beings, we want to believe that we have control over what happens to us. When that personal power is challenged by a victimization of any kind, we feel humiliated, psychotherapist Beverly Engel writes in Psychology Today. "We believe we should have been able to defend ourselves. And because we weren't able to do so, we feel helpless and powerless," added Engel, who has written and counseled extensively on abuse recovery.

The #MeToo movement, founded by sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke a dozen years ago, went viral in 2017 after actress Ashley Judd accused Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. Her disclosure led to similar reports by other women against Weinstein, who is now fighting indictments for sexual assault, including rape.

It also unleashed a Twitter-led outpouring from women, famous and not, who said they, too, had been the victims of sexual assault and rape. Later, as stories involving decades-old sexual assault allegations against former Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama and then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh led people to question why victims waited so long to tell their stories, self-identified victims took to Twitter again. This time, the topic was "why I didn't report," and victims – mostly buy not entirely women – explained the fear and shame that led them to decide not to talk to police.

The timing of the #MeToo movement and the Justice Department report suggest that sexual assault and rape victims were feeling more comfortable going to police even before #MeToo took off. Judd's revelations came in October of 2017.

It's still unlikely sexual assault victims will see their attackers sent behind bars, according to analyses by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, which are drawn from government statistics. But it starts with reporting, Weiss notes.