Rape

I feared that I’d remain a traumatized victim, but somehow, I had become a liberated survivor. Image: Thinkstock.

Masturbation Helped Me Heal From Sexual Assault

[CN: sexual assault] It happened to my mom, three of my best friends, and then it finally happened to me. Like so many women, I never imagined I’d face such a terrible violation, let alone that I would have to struggle to recover.

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Trying to place yourself back in a position of power after an assault is an acceptable reaction — one that is likely more common than we suspect. Image: Thinkstock.

Flipping The Script Was My Sexual Assault Survival Tactic

[CN: rape, victim-blaming, mentions of sex work] I felt violated. I felt angry that no one had stopped him, or stopped me from going outside with him. That no one had noticed how intoxicated I was. That no one had cared. And most of all, I felt utterly confused as to why I still allowed him inside my house after everything that had happened.

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I knew this feeling of helplessness and hopelessness and loneliness wouldn’t go away. And it didn’t. And yet, I hoped. With all that I had, I hoped.

No One Believed Me: On Being An Imperfect Victim In A World Of Perfect Abusers

I was questioned about my sexual past — a past filled with consensual partners and an affinity for whiskey — and quickly deemed to be an imperfect victim, a deviant who was sexually active far too often and for far too long to ever conceivably tell a man no.

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Contemplation.

I Named My Rapist On Facebook. I Wasn’t Prepared For What Happened Next.

I’m working on an essay about the time I was raped my freshman year of college. For the very first time, I’m naming my perpetrator. Even if it’s only his first name, there’s still so much power in it.

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I Just Found Out My Rapist Died –– And That I Was A "Lucky" One

I just found out that my rapist is dead. Not only is he dead, but he ended up killing a lot of women. I always wondered if he would rape again, but I never thought he would graduate to murder.

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India's Daughter: A Documentary On Rape Brews A Nationwide Storm

Excerpts from the film has created an earthquake of public reaction, splitting India into two sides on sexual violence.

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Credit: Thinkstock

#TheresNoPerfectVictim—Or Truth To The Belief That We, As A Society, Care About Rape Survivors At All

We don’t understand rape. We don’t understand consent. And we’re not—even a little bit—here for victims.

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