Sexual Assault

Brave Lemoore High School sexual assault victims are sharing their stories. These young women deserve more than just moral support.

I'm really conflicted and upset and confused at the moment and just wanted some advice. My best friend sexually assaulted me, and he doesn't realize it.

Sexual assault doesn’t discriminate based on body weight, and none of us should take our safety for granted. My fat doesn't protect me.

Raising awareness does nothing if we are not willing to become better humans, if we are not parents willing to raise decent human beings.

Sixteen years have passed since my last sexual assault, and before now, I had an incredibly healthy sex drive. The past year has been the hardest year for us. All of the memories of being assaulted came back more clearly, and the feelings of fear came rushing back with them.

When I heard that Air India had created a women-only section on its domestic flights last week, I breathed a sigh of temporary relief. Every country has a social problem (or many) that come up again and again, defying attempts to get them under control and exposing deep-seated cultural beliefs that are often unpleasant and vexing. America has gun violence (for one), China has pollution, and India has violence against women.

These women are from all over the world. They are from different socioeconomic brackets. Their assaults took place during different times over the last 35 years. The victims are completely different, but the stories are all so similar. Victims of assault, rape, harassment, coming forward, being brave and telling the truth, and being stigmatized, ostracized, blamed, ignored, ridiculed. People they love, people they trust, people whose job it is to protect them, blaming them for their assault. It’s common. Almost expected. That women are assaulted, harassed by men, is a given in our culture. That women are blamed is standard procedure. Is it really any wonder that the majority of sexual assaults go unreported? Is it really shocking that a woman would want to save herself additional trauma?

Klique, a new app, helps students socialize in groups. The goal is to promote safety by supporting users to always come and leave group outings with their “klique” alongside.