A few statistics that stood out to me were that 1 in 3 females and 1 in 4 males had experienced sexual violence within their lifetime. And 90% of victims/survivors of sexual violence know the person who violated them.
A common question that is asked is this my fault? Why did this person do this to me? To start, it is NEVER your fault that someone violated you. Never ever blame yourself. No one should ever violate another person based on their "looks, dress appearance, under the influence, didn't use the buddy system, or because you stayed silent and never said no." Silence is not consent. If there was never a direct yes, then it is a violation of your body, and that is NOT your fault. And as to why that person violated you. In most instances, it comes down to a power and control tactic. However, there is no correct answer to why that person violated you. You may never know the reason as to why but remember that it was their choice to do what they did to you and what they did was not right.
For more information, please reach out to me at 608-330-2591, email me at saoutreach@familyadv.org or visit our Sexual Assault webpage. If you need immediate assistance and would like to talk to one of our advocates, you can call our hotline at 800-924-2624.
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