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Samantha Stachon
Sexual violence across the United States and world have been prevalent throughout history, but it has been gaining more media exposure in recent years. There are many different forms of sexual unwanted acts upon victims from physical touch to actual non-consent rape. In fact, according to the CDC, a majority of these perpetrators are male and usually someone the victim knows such as a coworker, classmate, neighbor, friend, and even an intimate partner. There are many factors that still contribute to rape culture today such as the language being used by men and them having a say in what women should or should not wear in society. The unfortunate, “boys will be boys,” saying is an excuse used by many people today in how society perceives men to act in a way that objectifies women’s bodies. This culture is very normalized in our society and it’s always the little things such as cat calling that further contribute to this behavior, making people think it’s appropriate to act this way.
The aftermath for a victim who has experienced sexual assault and harassment is very costly. Not only is the victim scarred for many years upon years after their experience, but it can also result in the bruising or physical scarring left over on the body after the incident took place; or even worse, the victim could even contract a possible STD or a negative genital condition like AIDS in serious cases. These types of incidents whether that be harassment by unwanted touch or the actual rape happens to over more than 1 in 3 women in the U.S, according to the CDC. For men, the ratio is much lower with 1 in 4 experiencing assault but usually these male victims belong to the LGBTQ community. I cannot stress enough how important it is to listen to both genders equally when it comes to a sexual assault or rape case, because usually, if a man does report a case, it is often dismissed.
Throughout history, men have been taught to repress their emotions as much as possible to avoid being vulnerable as that was somehow deemed too feminine, but this just followed the toxic masculinity culture that is prevalent today. That’s why it makes it that much harder for a male to report an assault case than for a woman as it can be seen as a sign of weakness because they were raised to bottle up these feelings which is very unhealthy for the long run. No matter how many years that have passed since the incident, there will always be the memory on the mind of the victim with recurring flashbacks, Not to mention that some victims can also have fear, guilt, shame, and a sense of frustration that some may not even speak out about the incident.
It is worth mentioning that every single individual who has been a target of unwanted sexual acts has a different experience and a different way of coping with the incident; it is a myth that all survivors are the same and can understand each other when that isn’t always the case. If you are like anyone I’ve known, some people feel a sense of numbness and only remember parts of it from the past. Others may feel very strongly towards it and prefer not to bring it up. Unfortunately, this leads to another issue of victim blaming on social media which worsens a survivor’s psychological trauma.
There are many problems that arise on social media platforms such as Twitter where survivors come to a safe place virtually to openly express how they feel and share their experiences using the #MeToo movement. This movement has gained a lot of attention in recent years because women (especially women of color) do not always have the privilege to report their case to the justice system and have it be solved. If anything, a majority of perpetrators will get to escape and not be held accountable at all for their actions. According to RAINN, “out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, 995 perpetrators will walk free.” In that case, it makes sense why most females choose not to report to the police for fear of retaliation.
On Twitter, some men who read the experiences of these women who share on the #MeToo movements often question them as though to assume they are lying or being untrustworthy. These incidents of gaslighting the victims online makes it that much difficult to open up in real life.
The last few months along with the Black Lives Matter Movement going on, the hashtag: #JusticeforToyin has been seen online. Turns out that Toyin Salau, who was an advocate for the BLM movement, has been assaulted herself and she openly shared her experience on Twitter. Her perpetrator must have seen the Tweet because a few days later, she was killed for speaking up. She is yet to be given justice along with the millions of other people who undergo these experiences.
As someone who is from Chicago, it is not uncommon for sexual violence to be seen at times on the news or even hear about women and children being sex trafficked. Arizona unfortunately has very high sex trafficking rates as it is closer to the border for the perpetrators to target them. The healing process for victims who do survive their experience is quite the journey and can take months for some or many years for others.
One way in which victims have coped is through visual creativity such as through painting and art pieces. There is an art gallery called Awakenings and it is located on North Ravenswood in Chicago. The gallery showcases pieces that have been created beautifully by the hands of survivors and many evoke lots of emotion. Below are some examples:
Therefore, if you or a loved one has undergone sexual assault or rape, there are national service helplines that do offer a place to listen if by any there is a desire to be heard. There is always an option to speak to someone supportive by calling: 800-656-HOPE (4673). Remember, everyone’s story is unique and equally as important as the next person’s. Overcoming these obstacles through the healing process is a great challenge that takes a toll on your health, but it is a process worth growing and learning from.