Disappointing, indefensible, heartbreaking, infuriating–these are only a handful of the adjectives used to describe the actions of powerful men who have abused their authority and taken advantage of women in the workplace. In an interview with New York Times investigative journalist Jessica Bennett, Elizabeth Dann added another: dream-crushing.

Ms. Dann came forward in solidarity with eight other women to speak about the harassment she suffered at the hands of playwright and director Israel Horovitz while working as a young actress. “It messed with me,” she said. “It messed with how I saw my talent.”

Ms. Dann’s testimony highlights an underreported symptom of surviving sexual misconduct–the damage it inflicts on a person’s aspirations and sense of worth. While we should not minimize the emotional or physical scars that survivors carry, all too often the discussion begins and ends with their victimization with no mention of how their years ahead will pan out.

There is a common question that has been popping up in think-pieces and classrooms alike, and it has been debated long before the age of reckoning that Harvey Weinstein’s fall from grace sparked: Can we separate the art from the artist?

Do the fifteen accusations of abuse against Kevin Spacey render watching “House of Cards” uncomfortable at best and unethical at worst? Should you compromise your beliefs and vote blue if the Republican candidate allegedly assaulted underage girls as did Roy Moore? Can you laugh at Louis C.K.’s comedy specials now or love any more the interview show “Charlie Rose”?

While some of these answers are far more clear-cut than others, I do not find myself in the position to advise whether or not it is moral to recognize important work belonging to terrible people. Rather, I want to draw attention to this simple fact: Women are artists, too. They are politicians and authors, journalists and actors. The true casualty of sexual harassment is not the work of the predator, but the work of the survivor–or lack thereof.

In the workplace, reporting sexual misconduct or pursuing a case against a co-worker can foster a toxic environment for the survivor, where their personal credibility and professional capabilities are called into question. The abuse can drive them away from their chosen field, disillusioned by the actions of men who are supposed to represent the industry’s best–and desperate to find a community in which they can feel safe and valued. Dream-crushing, indeed.

According to a study published last May titled “The Economic and Career Effects of Sexual Harassment on Working Women,” women are 6.5 times more likely to change employment if they’ve been sexually harassed. Switching jobs causes significant financial stress, researchers have found, and can lead to lower-paying jobs for women who want to escape male-dominated fields.

The psychological toll is perhaps even more troubling than the visible consequences. No woman should be made by monsters to feel as if her work is inadequate or unnecessary.

While the cultural shift from victim-blaming is beginning to materialize thanks to movements like #MeToo, sexual misconduct continues to go unreported outside of these high-profile cases, particularly in the service industry. A lack of fiscal security, the fear of retaliation, and the strength it takes to come forward are all obstacles that silence women. We must lift their stories up and create an environment in which survivors are empowered, not shunned or demoralized.