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Welcome to Our Wave.

This is a space where survivors of trauma and abuse share their stories alongside supportive allies. These stories remind us that hope exists even in dark times. You are never alone in your experience. Healing is possible for everyone.

What feels like the right place to start today?
Story
From a survivor
🇺🇸

YOU ARE HERE: For times of survival, suffering and sorrow

My name is Survivor and when I was around age 3, my father started raping me. My mother helped hold me down. He was raping her, and she offered me up in her place. This continued until age 23, maybe 24, shortly before my wedding. By the time I was 6, he was raping other members of my family too. He’d come into my room at night and would throw my nightgown up into the headboard and then I’d have to wait my turn in fear and naked shame while others were raped. We had a large waterbed and I still remember the bed rolling up and down, up, and down, up, and down like on a boat. Once done, he wiped me down roughly with a red shop rag he used in cleaning the garage. It allowed him to keep the rag around to smell it and hold it close with no one questioning why it was so dirty with red stains. Most of the time, my dad was friendly and polite. But once he turned into the monster no one did anything to stop him. He never did these things when he was nice. Only when he was the monster. But he used the nice times to make it easier to attack. He would lull you into a false sense of safety and peace which really made you question your intuition and gut instincts that this was a bad man. This made it easier for him to sexually assault other children and adults. As I got older, my parents controlled the narrative of our lives, every aspect was carefully controlled. Like my mom knowing how to force miscarriages. The first abortion forced on me was when I was 15. I don’t know how I managed to make it to adulthood. I continue to remember more and more of the abuse by other family and church members. And other things my dad did within the church where he was pastor and then later deacon. But I still can’t talk about those memories. I think my dad felt like anything he did was inevitable, therefore, never his fault because he couldn’t control himself and when it happened God would forgive him, so it was all right. I know this because I overheard him grooming another family member to do the same things when he was 11 years old. Males in our family were groomed to be abusers too. I was groomed too. To always be the abused. Forced to keep silent, I learned quickly what happens to people who stand up to my dad. They die or get assaulted. As you can imagine, I had terrible anxiety growing up about being sexually assaulted and worked hard to fade into the background. I thought that might help. I thought it mattered what I wore, color of my hair, how much I weighed. It’s taken years and it will probably continue to take years to unlearn the lies I was taught. The worry made me constantly ill with one thing after another-- I got cancer when I was 32 and before that incapacitating vertigo and motion sickness. My parents met while working down in Texas for an independent fundamental Baptist preacher. Lester Roloff—an Independent Fundamental Baptist preacher who opened homes across the country for “troubled” children, teens, and adults. He liked to say he was saving dope fiends, whores, and hippies. I believe many of the children in the homes had already experienced abuse growing up and Lester Roloff homes should have been a safe place to heal. Instead, the kids met caretakers like my parents. My mom was in a charge of the 16 and older home and my dad flew around the country raising money and preaching the party line: men were akin to gods and women were lower than dirt—their only worth was in being a virgin and then baby factories once married. Very masochistic and minimizing of abuse of any kind, my parents ate up the evil rhetoric being preached from the pulpit My parents eventually took their brand of abuse from Lester Roloff’s out into the churches and communities where we lived-from Texas to Washington and eventually into Alaska. He disappeared in a plane over the waters near Anchorage in 2006. The events surrounding his disappearance were always very suspect but intense pressure from my family kept me quiet. Every day for almost three years straight, a family member called and reminded me talking about “our family issues” was causing generational sin to 4 generations. The pressure to keep quiet and do what my family told me to do was so significant I would have rather died than disappoint them. It wasn’t until I set out to heal from all the trauma, that I found out my dad faked his death. I had always been told since he was gone, there was nothing to be done for what I experienced growing up. But let me tell you, knowing he’s still out there perpetrating on other children and men and women really compelled me to come forward. I finally felt free to start talking. Getting past the pressure to stay silent was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Harder, even, than fighting cancer. I have spent many years in intensive CBT, EMDR and Polyvagal therapy learning how to process my wounds in a healthy way. I had pushed for criminal and civil suits against my perpetrators but the Texas statute of limitations don’t allow for justice to be done. So now, I spend my time now speaking on panels, podcasts, and community platforms about the intersections of trauma, faith, and advocacy. One of the biggest honors of my life has been sharing my story and advocating for Trey’s Law on the Texas Senate floor in Spring 2025. Forcing a sexual assault victim to keep quiet is what allowed people like my parents to continue their mistreatment for so many years. I will do what I can to make sure justice isn’t minimized by NDAs and Statute of Limitations. My efforts connect me with survivors, true crime audiences, mental health communities, and faith groups seeking to understand and confront abuse. I invest my time in mentoring survivors, creating resources for healing, and building digital tools to expand access to supportive materials. Because living a life whole and healthy is what I really want for me, all the victims and their families. We make our own opportunities to heal.

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  • Taking ‘time for yourself’ does not always mean spending the day at the spa. Mental health may also mean it is ok to set boundaries, to recognize your emotions, to prioritize sleep, to find peace in being still. I hope you take time for yourself today, in the way you need it most.

    Story
    From a survivor
    🇨🇦

    Surviving Gang Rape

    Last year I was gang raped. I have an ear ringing called tinnitus that has not stopped since. I have nightmares. I flew with my mom to a wedding overseas. I was excited. She would be busy with her friends and cousin and I would get to spend time with my awesome second cousin who is two years older than me. After the rehearsal dinner we went out. It was fun because I was not legally able to drink there even though the age was lower than in my province, but they did not check ID’s. I did not drink much because it was not my thing and I had a boyfriend but I was able to go to some bars then a club attached to a hotel. So much fun up to when we met two soldiers in uniform who were cute and separated us from her friends because of our looks. My cousin is stunning beautiful. They had a private room at the club and several soldiers were there and two prostitutes also. Those prostitutes definitely hated us being there. I wanted to get out anyway and the cute ones that invited us acted like they understood and took us out of there. We stupidly let them take us to their hotel room where they totally dropped the cute romantic act and made us strip our clothes to music. They showed us a gun they had in a drawer. I was terrified. They made us lay on our stomachs bent over the bed side by side and had sex with us that way. They switched like we were interchangeable before finishing in us with no protection. We held hands. I was crying while my cousin was trying to be strong and cheer me up. We weren’t allowed to leave and our clothes were hidden. Before took our phones we had to text that we were staying at my cousin’s friend’s house. Then they called two other soldiers, one of them a huge tall dark guy with body builder muscles. He was the worst to me. They made us dance and then we had to use our mouths on the cute ones that had lured us there while the other two had sex with us. I vomited and my cousin cleaned it up but then it started again. They had cocaine and made us sniff it off their parts and sniffed it off us. Another one came and I think it was just those five during the night but they kept raping us and making us do things even when we would pass out. I would like to have been more unconscious but cocaine makes you so awake. I want to remember less and think about it all less. We showered many times. The big dark one peed on me and in my mouth the shower. He did it more than once like I was his toilet. The other men even had to tell him to chill out when he was making me scream liking his fingers and pushing them in my arse, but not when he made me crawl around like a dog using my hair as a leash. I remember one of them calling their friends to tell them to turn all their t.v.’s way up to hide the noise in our room. They watched sports news on the t.v. They had me and my cousin kiss each other and stuff. I could not act like it was a fun party like my cousin did sometimes and encouraged me to do. She tried to take some of their attention away from me over and over. I love her for it but they did not leave me alone. My chest is something they were obsessed with. They did not care that I was obviously distressed and freaking out or that in my country I was three years below the age of consent. There I was the minimum. We woke up in the morning on one the beds together with only the two soldiers sleeping on the floor. The black one was gone! They had sex with us again and another man who was much older and who they called SIR came in and had sex with both us but mostly me. They cheered him on and my head was pounding and I was crying and it seemed to last forever. Finally we got our clothes back but they took us for brunch wearing their normal clothes. They showed me pictures on their phones that made it look like I was having fun and warned us how bad it would be if we said anything different than we had a nice party. A nice party in hell! Before that I’d had sex with only my 1 boyfriend ever. One night of hell and now my number was seven!! We had to start getting ready for the wedding right away and I was exhausted. My cousin hid me and I took a nap in my dress, hair and makeup until the last minute. I cried in the ceremony but not for the wedding. I was so sore in my vagina, muscles, and brain that I got so drunk at the reception I barely remember any of it. Just part of being on the plane home. I told my mom the truth when I got back and she got all crazy, so did my dad, and they tried to call over there and the hotel and such but there was nothing the police would do. I saw my dad cry for the first time as I told the whole story. My boyfriend could not handle it and dumped me. I go to group and do therapy. I take a pill everyday and now benzo’s for break through anxiety. I try to hide my large chest under baggy clothes where before I used it for attention. STUPID! My cousin does not seem to have the trauma I do or the nightmares. In her country they are done with secondary school up to two years before us and are more treated like adults sooner. I said mean things to her once because of it. She forgave me but we talk much less since I asked if she has gang bangs all the time. I felt terrible because she even let them have anal sex with her to lure them away from me. I could tell it hurt her so much but at the time was just thinking about my own survival. My childhood is OVER but I do not feel like an adult. Her advice is -Don’t let it get you so down-. Like I have a choice in this!! She went to a therapist ONCE because her mom made the appointment and does not plan to go back. Her life did not really change!! She works reception at a tech company and models on the side and still goes to parties and clubs and dates. How??? It is unbelievable how attitudes toward something like this can be so different in different countries. I am a victim now and I usually feel like it. Definitely damaged. Everybody at my school knows why. I am THAT girl. My new more mature boyfriend is understanding but I feel like a sad little burden to him. I am hypersexual sometimes now and can’t help it. It is a coping mechanism that happens to some victims of sexual assault. I did not ask for it. I worry my boyfriend can’t trust me because of it. I had an older guy friend who’s been my neighbor for years take advantage of me after I told him the story of what happened at his house. We had sex and then he felt guilty for being turned on by my rape story. He admitted it and asked me to forgive him. The sex helped me calm the ear ringing for just short time periods so I did it with him more than once a day for a bit until my dad started to suspect something and talked to him. Since then I don’t trust myself. I want to marry my boyfriend in large part just to protect myself and show him I love him and am loyal even though I am not sure I can be. I worry I cannot love like a normal person. I worry I push him away being too needy and wanting to marry him so soon. I need him more than he needs me. Is that the way it will always be in relationships for rape victims??? I work hard at school not to ruin my future. It is so hard to focus. My ears ring constantly. Thank you for listening.

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  • Message of Hope
    From a survivor
    🇺🇸

    You are not alone

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  • Every step forward, no matter how small, is still a step forwards. Take all the time you need taking those steps.

    Story
    From a survivor
    🇬🇧

    Brutally Used BY A COP after a traffic stop

    In my original shared story, IT STARTED WITH MY BROTHER, I talked about my abuse from a bird’s eye view. It was my abuse life as I was able to share it at the time. I have been working up to sharing 3 instances of rapes that I only avoided by allowing the men to take what they wanted instead of fighting. The most traumatic of the three incidents I mentioned involved a police officer. This is that account. I was pulled over on my way home from a study group as junior at the university on a week night. We had shared two drinks toward the end. I DO NOT condone driving and drinking but I was not drunk, as the breathalyzer later confirmed. I was pulled over and already had the nerves associated with that, amplified by the fact that I was under the legal drinking age for another three weeks. That is when I first met the cop I will just call SIK. He gave me a creepy vibe when I first saw him and that never stopped. Still, I flirted with him to an extent desperate to not get it huge trouble. He had me get out of the car, take of my hoodie, under which I only had a basic sports bra. It was only sixty degrees or so that night. I was cold and shivering from fear and the temperature. I saw him look at my body with no filter. Another cop car pulled up with two officers while I was doing the field sobriety tests. He had already searched me in an uncomfortable way. One of the officers who arrived was female and also searched me after he had said I had some problems with the sobriety tests. Walking backwards on an imaginary line heel to toe was the only thing I had trouble with. It is hard! The female cop brought out the breath test I had asked for. I blew 0.035. That is less than half the legal limit. At that point SIK said he was just going to follow me home, rather than arrest me, and the other car left. The whole stop took maybe an hour. Cars drove by on the side street I had pulled onto. Headlights and tail lights in the dark. After the other car left SIK talked to me more harshly and threatening than ever. He said a girl like me is probably used to getting away with everything. He asserted that he could still take me to jail anytime he decides as as he takes me home and makes sure I am safe everything I do is still a test. He could bust me for possession of alcohol and I would lose my license. I was scared. I told him my roommate was home. She was a student too and was supposed to be there. After following me inside my apartment I called out for my roommate. Then I checked her room. She was not there! SIK then accused me of lying to a police officer and locked the deadbolt from the inside. He made me stand with my hands on my own dining room wall with my legs spread. I wanted to call her so he could talk to her and confirm she was usually there, but he stopped me and made me just text her to see when she would be home. He gave instruction not to ask or say anything more and checked before I sent it. She was at her sisters and would not be back until late. At that point he took off his utility belt and put it on my kitchen counter. He told me after all he had done for me was no longer free, since I lied to him. His gun was right there next to us. He made sure I saw it and he even twisted it so it was pointed toward me. I was scared and pleading with him. I really was willing to do anything. I am not sure but I think I told him that. He radioed from his shoulder thing that he was taking a “lunch” break. What I definitely remember was when he said he was going to do a proper strip search this time, down to full nudity and asked if I agreed to that. At that point I no longer had a doubt what was happening. I made the mental adjustment but what he did was more than I had prepared for. He gave me vulgar compliments about my body as he blatantly molested me. He kneaded my breasts like dough. He fingered me as asked if you could use a special appendage he had that went farther in. I knew what he meant. I was repulsed but I agreed. After the initial eager sex with me still having my hands on the wall leaning forward he slowed down. I had been hoping it was almost over but he decided to prolong it. He commanded me to my bedroom. He took off all his clothes besides his socks. He complemented his own anatomy and made me agree. His member was well above average in size but I doubt, if he had not had a wedding band on, that he would ever get to use it. He was half bald, had a prominent eyebrow like a neanderthal, and a pale beer belly with lots of moles all over his body. He had a mustache and goatee that did not completely hide his poor complexion that looked like he had scars from severe acne. Almost all men all taller than me but he was short and only towered over me by a few inches. Never had I lied bigger than when I told him what he wanted to hear about being sexy and wanting him. The only truth was about his large penis. SIK spoke a lot, mostly degrading me and confirming that I agree with him. Cliche stuff, like me being a whore, slut, dirty, and liking what he made me do to him, but also asked about my sex life and abuse history. He wanted me to say that my dad and coaches abused me, but I would not lie about that. Instead I told him some of the truth about my brother abusing me. That was probably the worst part. Saying out loud to SIK what I never used to admit to anyone, for his great pleasure, harmed me. That was worse that the physical stuff. Worse than making me kiss him during parts of it. He was also cruel. He tried to gag me and push all the way down my throat while he made him do oral. He pushed my ankles behind my head while he pounded me with his abusing thrusts. I could see the cruel lust in his eyes. I could see his wicked smile. He slapped my face many times, just not very hard. He did spank me hard. He realized he had me captive and vulnerable to his whim and he was finally living his darkest fantasies. I was doing anything he wanted and encouraging it because I wanted it to stop. So many times he stopped himself right before he was going to climax! He did not want it to end. SIK tried to have anal sex with me and I was accommodating him but he was just too big to fit. I was crying during most of this out of pain but trying to act like an eager partner to make it end. I later thought that might have prolonged it. SIK was probably the time that would prefer I suffer more, like I was being raped instead of hiding my pain. It was not much longer than twenty minutes but it was so bad and I relived it so many times in my mind before I got smashed drunk and high the next night after work. So the memory lived much more prominently in my head than a simple 25 minute encounter. I do reach climax easily, but I never had one orgasm from him because of his preference for causing sexual pain. When he suddenly released inside me he got quiet and barely said another word as he dressed, gun belt and all, and left quietly. I have no idea what that meant. It scared me. I was afraid while driving for a while, and avoided sleeping at home as much as I could, which sometimes meant sleeping with men and even male friends just to not go home. It was the main reason I did not renew my lease and moved it to a smaller apartment by myself. This was the same roommate whose father had already slept with me without my initial blessing. I did tell my roommate a short version of it and she reacted like it was cool story. I did kind of tell it that way, as a way of dealing with it. The easy path of least resistance. To not admit it may have been the worse sexual thing to happen to me. The true worst things that happened to me in my college years were broken hearts from losing men I loved. But those are stories for a different forum. I don’t put my heart out there to be trampled anymore. This incident was one of the wake up calls that stood out as an omen for me to change my whole lifestyle and try to salvage myself. It was also one of the things that took me the longest to mention to my therapist even though I thought about it during sessions.

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  • Story
    From a survivor
    🇺🇸

    Manipulative dads, what can I say? (TW: descriptions of physical abuse)

    My mom wants a divorce but my father refuses to let go. Here's the context, judge as you wish. He was 25 when they informally married, my mom was 18. Despite her being a minor when they met, he showed up at her dorm from where he was working and asked her to elope. The first time he hit my mom was on her first birthday married to him. Because they eloped, my mom didn't want to tell her parents this and risk saddening them further, so she told herself to bear with it. They officially married 3 years later. Since then, he's continued physically abusing her. He also instigates her to the point of yelling, records only her being livid, then shows it to our relatives. Still, my mom even stuck with him when his first business failed and we were all homeless - having to stay at my mom's parents' house and my father's younger brother's house. He's the breadwinner and she's been a homemaker for the past 22 years (the length of their official marriage). More recently he's been financially abusing my mom: taking away all funding (cards) and forcing her to rely on her parents' cash... all b/c she couldn't show him a $25 Walmart receipt for underwear (atp, he had a $300k/yr job). He also controls everything from security access, to refusing to let my mom buy groceries by herself, to access to our car, etc. He keeps claiming that he earned it, not her, so he can "take it all away since nothing is [hers]". My younger sister and I are witnesses of him initiating aggression 99 times out of a 100, but he always brings up the one time my mom also lost her cool for the first and last time LAST NOVEMBER. The thing is, his arm wraps around her neck and squeezes; she tries to get him off of her by scratching, but only her self-defense is visible (which he takes pics of). I've tried to defend my mom, and have been pushing him away from when I was 12 to 17 (he stopped last year when my sister and I admitted that I would've called the cops on him already had it not been for my mom stopping me) but now he denies it. For the last year, he keeps reminding my mom that his bare minimum will also cease "one day" and my mom's tired of his BS. The first Thursday after I came home from my dorm for summer break, me and my mom brought divorce up seriously with a 70% completed packet (with me only acting as just her typist because she doesn't own a laptop and I'm 18+). Since then, we've had numerous arguments because he suddenly doesn't want a divorce and claims this came out of nowhere? Finally, he said he's willing to cooperate as long as this doesn't get out. He preached about being proud for not telling anyone, and pleaded my mom to not tell his family before he could do so personally. That was all a setup. For the next week, he plans exactly who to contact, what to say, and what angle to push. It all came to light last night when he not only contacted his own family, but also my mom's side of the family and took no accountability. Then he made a group chat (including my father's younger brother, my father's older brother, my mom's younger sister, and my mom's younger sister's husband) and got mad at my mother for telling us about it? Hypocrisy much? When confronted, he also said that if my sister and I continue supporting my mom's choice, then he wants nothing to do with us anymore and will never again support my (minor) sister. He also said this word for word in our native language to my younger sister and I - "Her father hit her mother, my father hit my mother - you don't see their kids supporting a divorce, do you?" It was also pretty obvious that he was recording parts of our arguments when he tried to frame me by yelling "Don't come onto me" as if I was charging at him when me, my sister, and my mom were talking to him from the second floor catwalk and he was downstairs in the living room 💀. That made it pretty clear he doesn't actually care about anyone in this family unit and only his image getting tarnished with a divorce (pretty taboo in our native country, where everyone in our family but us lives). At first, his angle was that my mom's only leaving him because his currently (second) business venture is causing financial instability... but my mom quickly pointed out if money was the issue, she would've left LONG ago. His angle now is that my mom is bored at home and that's the sole reason for this divorce, so what can he do - "hire 2-3 men to entertain her while [he] works?" He also keeps yapping about how my mom has manipulated us into turning against our own dad... that we keep bringing up things that "happened before [our] birth"... that he's "fighting a different battle" and doesn't need this drama and emotional coupe. ((MINI VENT, OPTIONAL!! first of all, bruh, we're not blind or deaf nor do we have short term memory loss... mom doesn't have to say shit for us to know you're an abusive father cuz ive quite literally gotten hurt from when you pounced on her like an animal. second of all, you've been physically abusing her for 21 years, verbally abusing her for a decade, exerting coercive control for 7 years, financially abusing her for 2 years... and you claim that me and my sister are only talking about things we dont know about from before our birth? lmfao, give me a break. thirdly, none of us wanted drama either; my mom refused to let you get apprehended and get what you deserve, she refused to let me tell our relatives anything, she tried to make sure we still saw you as a good parent no matter what... and that's somehow an emotional coupe? since when??)) When my mom's younger sister's husband pushed back, asking about the time our neighbors literally called the cops on him (he got off luckily then because my mom didn't want to get him into trouble), he lied and said it was only a "visa check-in". Then, he texted family with a major threat - that anyone who supports my mom will face legal harassment from an attorney they already have (backed by the same younger brother mentioned before, who is now pretty powerful in the foreign state where our entire family lives, and has connections in high-up government positions; my father's older brother is no better, and has made his wife have a female sex-selective abortion twice even though it's illegal to check the baby's gender in our native country). Apparently, he's also been talking shit about my mom's side of the family (who literally sold their jewelry when my father was in a tough spot, then housed and fed our family when we had nothing) to my mom's younger sister's husband, calling them cheap of all things 💀. I just can't bring myself to treat him as a father, especially since he's also been threatening to completely cut me off multiple times over the past year before this whole divorce thing was even brought up, and even told me he doesn't consider me his daughter so many times. He knows we all have to rely on him... especially since my mom's degree isn't valid here so she can't work full-time in what she's trained to do, and also because my visa doesn't allow me to work without official federal permission. He keeps complaining about how my mom doesn't work, but every attempt of hers to get a decent job that would sponsor her visa independently has been shut down by him. Most recently, while he invested tens of thousands of dollars in his latest venture that still hasn't turned profit, he refused to pay for the last step of my mom getting her career back - just simple exam fees for a state board exam - after she passed the much harder national exam for internationally trained professionals. Even if I landed something and my mom took on multiple part-time jobs, it won't be enough to pay for my tuition (which is higher than what most students would pay since I'm considered an international student) along with my mom and sister's needs. Before anyone asks why she hasn't left his sorry ass before, she'd have to go back to our country of origin in order to support herself and my sister. They're just so done with my father now, though, that they're willing to move across borders to get away. However, my father also refuses to sign anything, so to officially serve the divorce papers, my mom will need to contact the Sheriff's office to do it officially. Now, that's the only way she can get the divorce process started if he refuses to confirm he was served the papers, but our family would only villainize her for it to hell and back if someone from the Sheriff's office showed up at the place where he rented a cubicle for his startup. If she doesn't decide to initiate a divorce and just decide to leave, the moment they go back to our native country, all of his relatives will show up at their doorstep and try to talk her out of this, harassing her nonstop. Now, I fear them going back. My aunt is now also warning my mother that my father is planning something big and that he can go to any lengths possible. Recently, he also kept yelling "be prepared" and that it's going to get ugly because he's not holding back on telling anyone anything. I'm genuinely scared of this man, and as strong as I'm trying to be, there's only so much I can do. I wanted to finally rat him out, but my mom warned me that if I do that and he ends up behind bars here while we leave for our country of origin, there's no saying what his brothers will pull on them where they can quite literally bribe people to look away (like they've done before). My sister and mom feel like prisoners in their own home and I have no idea how to help them. For now, I'm trying to help all of us go back for at least a month-and-a-half without escalating anything so that my mom can have the support of her family without anyone blaming her for taking action. My sister used to get upset when I matched my father's decibel level, but now with the new lengths he's taking things to, she gets it and no longer blames me. My mom also used to get frustrated with me for being too harsh with my father when he was still pretending to cooperate; but she's so kind with my frustration now that he's pushed us all past the point of empathy. I'm genuinely so, so grateful for both of them for giving me so much grace, and even though I'm still terrified and we still haven't figured out how things will go, I'm more secure knowing who truly cares about me and who's only in it for the image. I just needed to vent all this out to an audience that won't judge me as harshly as the rest of my family back home would :]

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  • Community Message
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    END VICTIM BLAMING.

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  • Story
    From a survivor
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    MY SISTER IS MY ABUSER

    My story is very weird because my abuser was my own sister i was about 5 0r 6 when this was happening i only remember parts/vivd memories but i know this had to have gone on for a while because she would sometimes do things with the door open all 2 of my other sisters knew at that time she was 12/13 she tell me to go in her closet to take my clothes off and come out she would then get on top of me we would play a game like cops and robbers and she would ve the cop and id be the robber she would say things moan and i would sit there speechless after i would pretend nothing happened and go about my day one time she put toothpaste on her vagina and made me lick it off my sister oldest one knew and she asked me if i can do it to her to i said no i dont remember what happened after that i never really realized it was wrong until i started to watch shows and stuff but then i felt maybe i was imagining it but i wasnt i kept thinking about it and would cry i remeberd what the closet looked like how normal it felt and thats what disgusts me i never cried because i was so young and didnt realize ik you may think maybe it was house but no she made up a game thats how you know she knew what she was doing was wrong she disguised it so i wouldnt tell after i became hypersexual yes at 6/7 i would take pictures on my leap frog tablet of my butt i would do things with this girl i lived near (ps when we moved it stopped)but when i would go to my friend m house we wouldd ✂️ and it didnt feel wrong i know she approached me and i didn't feel bad or weird so i said yea ik another girl named t taught her t was also sexual for her age she was like 8 but me and my friend m only did it once and a year or 2 later when i started watching crime shows remembering it i tried to asked about it out of curiosity and she denied so i left it alone. I have a toxic mother so i will most likely never tell her me and my sister talk/communicate like nothing never happened she just had a baby but now when i see my sister i don't feel angry thats what makee me feel nasty like did i like it? I didnt but its hard to remember i think simce it happened so long ago i just dont feel for it but one day i will tell my story thank you for listening.

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  • If you are reading this, you have survived 100% of your worst days. You’re doing great.

    Story
    From a survivor
    🇺🇸

    Finally able to share.

    As a child I experienced sexual abuse multiple times and the worst part about it is, I do not remember much of my childhood... but I can remember these moments like the most vivid of nightmares. The first time I can remember is being at my fathers girlfriends house. She had a son and I was alone with him at some point and he made me place his privates in my mouth. I do not remember much after that so fast forward to the next time. My grandfather had a heart attack so my cousin and I were left alone with My grandmothers brother. (who is currently in prison for child p**n) I remember sitting on the couch watching TV while he drank and all of a sudden he started to touch me and breathe his nasty beer breath into my face saying inappropriate things to me. He continued to touch me inappropriately and then instructed me and my male cousin (we were 1 year apart in age) to do inappropriate things to each other. This began the normalization of people abusing me and I thought it happened to everyone. I hated it but I thought we were all expected to suffer through in silence. I finally ended up repressing all memories of these horrendous moments and didn't give it a second thought until many years later. Fast forward again to about age 19, I was out drinking with my cousin (not the same as before) and she and I ended up at a house of 3 guys we sort of knew. We were underage and they had booze so we started drinking, to which I was no stranger. I ended up getting so messed up I blacked out, however even though I have no proof, I am convinced I was drugged. I woke up to the owner of the house on top of me and all I remember saying was "ouch" and then I passed out again. I woke up the next morning alone and my cousin was no where to be found, she had left me there the night before, so nothing happened to her. For the longest time I was ignorant to the fact that I was raped and I always thought I deserved it because I got drunk and I did what was expected of me. I wish I had been educated properly in this area and that I had parents that recognized the signs as a child so that maybe I could have received help. I am 31 years old and just now dealing with these traumas. I have opened up to my husband a little bit but not fully as I am still so ashamed. There is so much more to these stories but it feels SO good to know that I can share anonymously and relieve some of the weight off of my heart.

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    "Little Miss Sunshine"

    I was just 10 years old when a family member decided it was okay to play "doctors and nurses with me" it was then when he started to sexually abuse me. I was so oblivious to what was going on, I didn't realise how wrong it was until I grew older, I thought it was normal as he was doing it to his sister too. I was told not to say anything it was a secret between us 3. I blocked it out of my memory until I left school, well I believed a blocked it out, but looking back now I think that is why my behaviour was so defiant. I was just always told I had ADHD/Autism was why I was naughty, but looking back now I think its because I still had to see his face. I eventually disclosed what happened to me once I had left school to a friend, someone I trusted. I needed to tell someone and that's when I really realised how wrong it was and it really hit me. It's surprising how something you push to the back of your mind and block out can really affect you psychologically still. I have 0 confidence and still don't know, I feel worthless, like a failure and I never feel good about myself, I really struggle too. When I disclosed my abuse to someone, it all went so fast, they helped me tell my parents and then my mum helped me reach out to the police. The local police in my area let me down, I realise I had no evidence, because it happened when I was 10 many times, but I still recall what happened, I was brought to a safe house where I had my interview, I felt violated all over again. the questions they asked me, it brought everything back. It didn't even make it to court the police came to the conclusion that it was "JUST A GAME BETWEEN TWO KIDS" they believe there was no maliciousness behind it - A Game - These words have stay with me since then and I can never shake them off, it was not just a game he knew what he was doing, he understood and had full capacity of what he was doing to me. He didn't even make it onto the register, even though he was doing it to his sister as well. The worst part is going though it at such a young age, then having the courage to speak out and then not being believed and told it was a game really affects me to this day, even though I don't like to show it does, I'm very much a girl who makes jokes and smiles all the time to get past the trauma, even having dark humour to cover up the hurt I feel inside, I have always let this abuse, being SA'd affect me. I can't have Sex with men, I feel broken and damaged, I want to be able to have fun but every time I go to have fun I close up and I physically struggle to have sex with men, and when I do have sex with them I do it to make them happy because I feel so bad about letting t hem down and failing as a partner. Maybe I haven't moved past my trauma as much I think I have. I think I still have a lot of healing to go. I recently encountered something at work, which again I was let down people that I thought would help me, I feel so hurt and so Alone. A couple months ago I was working in my local hospital It was my favourite job, I was helping people through chemo and there cancer treatment, I was, as many of my patients called me 'Their little ray of sunshine on a gloomy day' ☀️. I was working on a night shift and was approached by an agency worker who start talking to me, and me being me was nice to him and talking away, like I do with everyone I am a very friendly person and he took my being nice as a invitation to try it on with me, which I said no thank you. and he continued to touch me, and at one point got his man hood out which again I said 'No' he grabbed my hand to touch it, which I continued to say no, he told me keep to down, stay silent and feel what I was doing to him, I tried pulling my hand away. I went numb and started to just shut down. Luckily saved by the bell, someone was needing assistant and we were the only two working so he went and answered the bell and told me he will come back later, at the time I was heading on my break too sleep in the staff room, I was terrified to sleep, even though I locked the door so he couldn't get in I was so upset about what just happened, he said he would follow me home. I told the nurse in charge what had happened and he was moved to another ward in the hospital. They told me in order to do anything I need to write a statement and they could involve the police but I would have to go to court, do a statement, re live what happened, face him, which at the time I was just to traumatised to do because I wasn't believed last time anything happened and I couldn't face him, he was banned from the hospital and was not allowed to work in healthcare establishment after that, he then disappeared no one knew where he went or where he was. I took a few days off work for 'Mental health' as I got 'triggered' (I word I don't like to use) and I got penalised because of it. I have recently lost my job and I tried to fight my corner and had a tribunal due to me being off for sickness, the head of nursing turned around to me in the tribunal and told me 'Being off sick for the 'alleged sexual assault was not a good enough reason'. Again making me feel absolute shit as if she didn't believe me and my reason for being off which I only took a few days off to just try and sort my head out and find my worth made me feel like my reason was not validated and even if I was to take anything further regarding the SA in the hospital, they would not of supported to me anyways. Every day I am constantly having a battle in my head about being good enough. I get scared and also feel like I shouldn't share my story because what happened to me isn't half as bad as what some people have gone through. Did I lead them on? If only I wasn't too scared to speak up? Did I flirt with him or make him want me? questions I ask myself daily... I know I was only 10 but when people who are meant to be people you can trust and have authority tell you its a game, it does make me question still now to this day was it a game, a game that hurt me, and made me feel very uncomfortable and a game I didn't like, but still just a game between two. Law and Order and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has saved my life, oddly it is my comfort show and helps me through some dark times and helped me understand and also know that it is wrong what happened to me. I also learnt its okay to share your story and it is always good to speak out about it, don't feel you're a burden or you're worthless, you are never alone there Is always someone out there that will be there for you. I am on a journey like everyone else that has suffered and been through some dark times and I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I am not alone, I think sharing my story will really help me feel less alone, I hope more people are able to speak up even if it is just through this. You are not Alone <3 sorry for such a long post

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  • “To anyone facing something similar, you are not alone. You are worth so much and are loved by so many. You are so much stronger than you realize.”

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    From a survivor
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    #1012

    From 2011 to 2015 I was sexually physically and mentally abused by a man I was romantically involved with that was almost 20 years my senior. I was 17 and attracted to someone i felt at the time was so captivating and wise, and showed interest and attraction with me as well. I knew from the beginning that it was wrong but that’s also what made it exciting. We met in a safe community with people I had known my entire life and he really seemed to understand me and all my complexities. He saw me, which was very important to me at a time where I didn’t really see myself The first time we had oral sex was on a public park bench in a park at night. I was 17, he took me out to sushi and bought me alcohol, said he wanted to go for a walk in the woods after. It was empty and dark, I didn’t feel afraid at first. We stopped at a table to smoke some weed and next thing happened he was having me touch him, and had his dick out in front of his face. He didn’t have a house to go to so here we were. I had never sucked a dick before but I didn’t want him to know that so I did my best. And then it escalated. Fingers and hands were everywhere and he was pulling down his pants on top of me in this public park. I had to stop it. I couldn’t lose my virginity this way and didn’t know how it escalated so quickly. It did cross my mind that he could do whatever he wanted to me right now and there was no one around to hear or help. And that I needed him to find my way out the park and get home. I guess this is one of my earliest memories that shaped how I feel about sex - it’s something that can and should happen anywhere, and it’s something that you - the girl - are withholding from the man. Because that’s what we were, a girl and a man. The first time he hit me was in my college dorm room I guess that’s part of why I never think about college and hate going there All my 4 roommates were out of town and I invited him down for the weekend He brought his 10 year old son We were in a rocky place already, trust issues, control issues The night before I befriended a handsome actor I met at my job at the theater We exchanged numbers I sent a late night text and then deleted the evidence I woke up to bags being packed, chaos in my tiny apartment, sun shining through the windows of what promised to be a beautiful day I was confused but didn’t want to start arguing in front of his son who just said “wait we’re leaving?” Then I saw my phone on the table between, open to the text message response from the man I gave my number to Saying something so obviously flirty that I had nothing to say back I started crying, apologizing, begging him not to go He sent his son to the shower I kept getting in his way He slapped me hard I kept getting in his way The bathroom door was open and they were communicating Then he was on top of me In my living room Hands around my neck Knees on my chest The same place I watched movies with my roommates Studied late in the night sitting up on propped pillows on the floor Feet away I could hear the street People I knew walking to class Laughing Getting on the bus Playing music Did they know what was going on just on the other side of the door How could I reach them I couldn’t breathe He was saying horrible things Staring at me in my eyes with a whole lot of hate and hurt Pushing harder into my chest with his knees His hards clutching0 my throat Telling his son in the calmest voice possible “stay in the shower, I’ll be right there” Then there was a release My mind was spinning, my heart broken, my guilt overwhelming

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    We all have broken places, but we are not broken

    In 2007, my ex-husband drove over my foot. He did it out of rage. What followed was something I’ll never forget: ➤ I called the police. ➤ They issued a temporary restraining order. ➤ I went to court, determined to protect myself and my toddler. ➤ He stood before the judge, pleaded, and promised he’d never do it again. ➤ The court believed him. They let him go. The restraining order wasn’t extended. And just like that, I was left to pick up the pieces on my own. I’ve shared parts of my story about surviving domestic violence before. But this part? I’ve kept it to myself. For years, I was ashamed of this story. Not because of what happened to me—but because the world taught me to be ashamed. To be quiet. To “move on” as though resilience meant silence. But here’s the truth: Resilience doesn’t come from silence. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩. This experience, as painful as it was, taught me lessons I couldn’t learn any other way: ➤ I learned how to find my voice, even when no one wanted to hear it. ➤ I learned how to advocate for myself, even when the system failed me. ➤ I learned that survival isn’t the end goal—thriving is. But let’s be clear—this isn’t just about my story. It’s about a culture that protects abusers, excuses toxic behavior, and leaves survivors to fend for themselves. The same culture that let him walk away is the one that: ➤ Enables toxic leadership in workplaces. ➤ Silences survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. ➤ Ignores the mental health toll of these experiences. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 “𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.” Leadership isn’t just about titles or decisions—it’s about creating a world where: ➤ Survivors feel safe to speak up. ➤ Toxicity is called out, not tolerated. ➤ Resilience is celebrated, not silence. Some stories stay with you until you’re ready—today, I’m ready. Let it end with us. NO MORE Week 2025 hashtag#nomoreweek2025 hashtag#SayNoMore, hashtag#EndTheSilence hashtag#nomoreweek from LinkedIn post: link

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  • You are surviving and that is enough.

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    #1304

    So I am currently in a gap year and it has given me a lot of time to think about my future but also my past. I was 9 when it happen, I remember quite a bit and it has been jarring to look at that memory 10 years later. My cousin she was 12 at the time. I was visiting like I normally did at the time but this visit was different as we were left alone in the house for a better part of the day. We were going to take a bath together like we would normally do but then she said she had something to show me while the water was running. She went into her parents room and came back with a magazine, it was a porn magazine. She closed the toilet seat and said that she wanted me to do what some of the men and women in the magazine were doing to her. We kissed, touched each other, and rubbed our genitals together. We then went on to bath and she didn't really say anything after we were done and I didn't really know how to feel because she was all smiles and happy and I was out of it and I think I have been out of it for most of my life because I have never told anybody what happened. It honestly feels like an out of body experience thinking back on it because it was basically buried in my subconscious and It has affected a lot of my life. I don't know if she remembers but I do, and she's meant to come over for Christmas and I don't know what to do because I basically cut off all communication once I remembered what happened. And we are meant to be super close but I don't know how I am meant to interact with her.

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  • Story
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    Surviving Gang Rape impression

    Surviving Gang Rape impression
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  • Message of Healing
    From a survivor
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    Healing is a feeling of relief and having peace.

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  • “It’s always okay to reach out for help”

    Story
    From a survivor
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    (Name's) story

    I was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship for 4 years. I have 2 daughters, I got out of it just 3 weeks ago. I am now filing for divorce. Im still not completely over it, im still somewhere in the middle. I blame myself for taking it for so long but I also wish he had not been this way. He did love me, or thats what he made me believe. We would have really good moments together, we were like friends most of the time but when something would happen that he would not like, all hell would break loose. He would scream, abuse and then raise his hand. Sometimes her would just raise hiss hand first and abuse later. After the abuse, the next day, he would come to me with bouquets and beg me for forgiveness. He would cry for hours and ask me not to leave him. He would convince me to stay, but he never honoured his commitments to me. He hit me 15 times in the total 4 years of our marriage. I cant believe I let it happen to me, I can’t believe even after being hit 15 times I had hope of things getting better. ❤️‍🩹 I am glad I am out of his house, I am glad I am away from him. I hope I can push through and persevere. The movie it ends with us came at the perfect time, when I saw it I felt it was me. It was me living that experience, being made to feel like I was crazy. The only difference is that lily decided after the 3rd time for me it took -15. But i realised at the end, I cannot out my daughters through such a traumatic childhood. I cannot let it go anymore, so ai took a stand for myself and I left. Now I am filing for divorce. Everyday with every step it only gets harder but I am certain once this is all over it will be much easier.

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    The Light Bulb Turns On

    Ten days after my daughterX discharge from the hospital, where she had undergone brain surgeries for epilepsy, X was resting in her bedroom and my ex-husband asked me to help him buy something online. I said no (very unusual but I was fixing something for X. to eat) and he exploded, throwing hot coffee on me then trashing the kitchen. And for the first time, a light bulb went on in my mind. The light said, "This is going to stop." Once he saw that something fundamental had changed inside me - that I was indeed serious - he escalated his tactics week by week. We had been married for almost 20 years, and he was absolutely incredulous that I was leaving him. All he knew how to do in response was more assault, more threats, more stalking, more financial theft. He was out of his mind. At one point he stood on the steps outside our house screaming "Why didn't you abort the kids?" over and over. For about 6-8 months I'm pretty sure he was considering doing a murder/suicide. I had to leave everything behind to get away - the home, friends, my job. I sold everything of value that I owned. Since I had grown up in a home of domestic violence, I didn't understand it very well, even as I was being victimized. I didn't know that shoving someone, kicking someone, and throwing objects or hot liquid at someone are all against the law. I didn't know that insults, name-calling, and coercive sex aren't part of normal relationships. I didn't know how dishonest my ex-husband was (and is).

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  • “Healing is different for everyone, but for me it is listening to myself...I make sure to take some time out of each week to put me first and practice self-care.”

    Message of Hope
    From a survivor
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    I find my hope in my children and my happiness now that I am free of him.

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  • Story
    From a survivor
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    #916

    Trigger warning. I was sexually abused at the age of 5. My mom’s boyfriend’s uncle took me on a tractor ride with my brother. My mom’s boyfriend’s uncle pulled down my pants and touched me. He dropped me off by the side of the road and took my brother with him. I ran after the tracker, calling my brother’s name. After he picked us both up, he dropped us off back at the house. I told my grandma what happened, and she wanted to call the cops. My mom said she would take care of it. She didn't do anything. The next time I was abused, I was 6. My mom was with someone else. He was my stepdad. He was drunk and got in bed with me naked. I don't remember what happened now, but my mom told me that I told her he raped me, and she said that I was bleeding. When I was 7, my step-sister wouldn't play Barbies with me unless I kissed and massaged her. She was 9. I should have just said no. I don't know what's wrong with me. When I was 14, my mom was dating someone else, and he would always touch me. I told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. He said I was hot; he touched me everywhere, every day for four years. He chased me around the house, trying to get me to sit on his lap. He stood in my room watching me. I was afraid to go to sleep. I was also scared to change into PJs. I didn't want him coming in on me. I stayed up until midnight because that's what time he got up. When I fell asleep, I dreamed of him raping me. When I woke up, my pants were unbuttoned, and the zipper was down. I don't know if he did anything or not in my sleep. I told my mother what happened, but I don't think she wanted to believe it even though she saw him chase me around the house. At age 19, my boyfriend at the time raped me. I didn't want to do anything with him with his son in the room. He didn't take no for an answer, and he tossed me around like a rag doll. He took my phone and wouldn't let me call anyone. He called his two guy friends to take me home. I shouldn't have gone with them, but they didn't touch me. The guy I was dating gave me my phone back when I got in the car, and I called my grandma. After I went to the cops, they didn't do anything. At the age of 22, I was sexually abused again. I don't feel comfortable saying who. He did apologize, though. Watching Law & Order SVU gave me a sense of justice, watching the rapists go to jail. Mariska Hargitay is my hero.

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    The Fear That Follows Me by Survivor Name

    Remember how scary the first day of high school was? New building, new classes, new faces. I have known many people in my grade since kindergarten, but now seniors are walking around, with car keys and established boyfriends. Many of them scare me. “Ok, let's just find first period.” Having gotten through every class but one, my nerves started to settle. Biology was the last period of the day, with Teacher. I walk in the door and recognize some people as she starts assigning our seats alphabetically. I find my seat near the front of the room and turn around and see the back of a guy’s head. “Nice hair.” I would soon learn that his name was Name 2 and I found him attractive. I had yet to speak to him and refused to allow myself to develop a crush. This would continue until early September when we were seated next to each other. My reservations about developing a crush quickly vanished. I was telling anyone I trusted about him. I was flirting and having a good time. At the end of one class, I asked him if he wanted to study sometime at the library. During homecoming, I direct messaged him on Instagram to see if he was there. The day after homecoming, I went into an inpatient facility for unrelated mental health issues. I was gone for about a month. During this time, I had hoped that when I returned we would still be seated together. This was not the case. After I came back, I wanted to keep my head down and get my work done. For three months this is exactly what I did. From late October to December, I had a crush but was less giddy to tell anyone. Once we returned for the spring semester, things started to quickly go downhill. I am sitting at a table in the back with one of Name 2’s best friends, Name. One day, he starts prodding me to learn who I have a crush on. I let it slip that it was Name 2 and now the floodgates have opened. Every day at the end of class, Name would call Name 2 over as he would ask me disturbing questions about his or Name 2’s genitalia. Or things about my body. I was truly appalled. When I told him who I liked, I never asked for this. I never wanted this. This went on until early February. My seat did not change for a while, but theirs did. Name 2, Name, and his two other friends were all seated at the front of the room. The desks lined the sides of the room and they were directly diagonal from me. With the four of them together, it was a gang mentality to harass and intimidate me. It felt as if every day I would hear my name and a sexual comment. This all culminated one day when we watched a Bill Nye episode on the law of attraction. I was uncomfortable during the entire thing. Name 2 and his friends must have picked up on this, as once the episode was over, I heard Name yelling my name from across the room. “Survivor Name, Survivor Name! Look at this!” To my absolute horror, I turn around to see one guy in a chair and another straddling him, pretending to be making out. It was clearly supposed to be Name 2 and I. There were a few minutes left in class, and I was trying to hold back tears. “Was this really happening? Am I a joke?” I tried to ignore it but realized it had gotten out of hand. I talked to Teacher Name after class to tell her what was happening. I break down in tears as she explains this is bullying and harassment. She brought me to the psychologist where I cried to have my dad pick me up. “I’m done!” At this moment I truly felt hopeless and saw how bad the situation had gotten. I had tied my self-worth and identity to a crush. I had direct messaged Name 2 to end the harassment. Nothing happened, but I still wanted to believe that he would tell his friends to knock it off and that deep down he was a good person. Instead, he was a bystander who let it happen, while actively seeing the pain and suffering I experienced. I was no longer allured or attracted to him. This attraction turned to anger and resentment and would remain that way until I graduated high school. Looking back, I do remember my first day of high school. I found first period and every other class. My last period of the day would cause me so much stress that I would get the shakes. I would cry to my English teacher to let me stay. While this used to be one of the worst times in my life, I have learned so much about myself that I could have never expected. I am so much stronger than I ever realized. My self-worth is not connected to someone else. I am worth it and no boy can ever take that away from me. Thank you for reading my story.

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  • “I really hope sharing my story will help others in one way or another and I can certainly say that it will help me be more open with my story.”

    Message of Hope
    From a survivor
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    It was never your fault ❤️

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  • Welcome to Our Wave.

    This is a space where survivors of trauma and abuse share their stories alongside supportive allies. These stories remind us that hope exists even in dark times. You are never alone in your experience. Healing is possible for everyone.

    What feels like the right place to start today?
    Story
    From a survivor
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    Surviving Gang Rape

    Last year I was gang raped. I have an ear ringing called tinnitus that has not stopped since. I have nightmares. I flew with my mom to a wedding overseas. I was excited. She would be busy with her friends and cousin and I would get to spend time with my awesome second cousin who is two years older than me. After the rehearsal dinner we went out. It was fun because I was not legally able to drink there even though the age was lower than in my province, but they did not check ID’s. I did not drink much because it was not my thing and I had a boyfriend but I was able to go to some bars then a club attached to a hotel. So much fun up to when we met two soldiers in uniform who were cute and separated us from her friends because of our looks. My cousin is stunning beautiful. They had a private room at the club and several soldiers were there and two prostitutes also. Those prostitutes definitely hated us being there. I wanted to get out anyway and the cute ones that invited us acted like they understood and took us out of there. We stupidly let them take us to their hotel room where they totally dropped the cute romantic act and made us strip our clothes to music. They showed us a gun they had in a drawer. I was terrified. They made us lay on our stomachs bent over the bed side by side and had sex with us that way. They switched like we were interchangeable before finishing in us with no protection. We held hands. I was crying while my cousin was trying to be strong and cheer me up. We weren’t allowed to leave and our clothes were hidden. Before took our phones we had to text that we were staying at my cousin’s friend’s house. Then they called two other soldiers, one of them a huge tall dark guy with body builder muscles. He was the worst to me. They made us dance and then we had to use our mouths on the cute ones that had lured us there while the other two had sex with us. I vomited and my cousin cleaned it up but then it started again. They had cocaine and made us sniff it off their parts and sniffed it off us. Another one came and I think it was just those five during the night but they kept raping us and making us do things even when we would pass out. I would like to have been more unconscious but cocaine makes you so awake. I want to remember less and think about it all less. We showered many times. The big dark one peed on me and in my mouth the shower. He did it more than once like I was his toilet. The other men even had to tell him to chill out when he was making me scream liking his fingers and pushing them in my arse, but not when he made me crawl around like a dog using my hair as a leash. I remember one of them calling their friends to tell them to turn all their t.v.’s way up to hide the noise in our room. They watched sports news on the t.v. They had me and my cousin kiss each other and stuff. I could not act like it was a fun party like my cousin did sometimes and encouraged me to do. She tried to take some of their attention away from me over and over. I love her for it but they did not leave me alone. My chest is something they were obsessed with. They did not care that I was obviously distressed and freaking out or that in my country I was three years below the age of consent. There I was the minimum. We woke up in the morning on one the beds together with only the two soldiers sleeping on the floor. The black one was gone! They had sex with us again and another man who was much older and who they called SIR came in and had sex with both us but mostly me. They cheered him on and my head was pounding and I was crying and it seemed to last forever. Finally we got our clothes back but they took us for brunch wearing their normal clothes. They showed me pictures on their phones that made it look like I was having fun and warned us how bad it would be if we said anything different than we had a nice party. A nice party in hell! Before that I’d had sex with only my 1 boyfriend ever. One night of hell and now my number was seven!! We had to start getting ready for the wedding right away and I was exhausted. My cousin hid me and I took a nap in my dress, hair and makeup until the last minute. I cried in the ceremony but not for the wedding. I was so sore in my vagina, muscles, and brain that I got so drunk at the reception I barely remember any of it. Just part of being on the plane home. I told my mom the truth when I got back and she got all crazy, so did my dad, and they tried to call over there and the hotel and such but there was nothing the police would do. I saw my dad cry for the first time as I told the whole story. My boyfriend could not handle it and dumped me. I go to group and do therapy. I take a pill everyday and now benzo’s for break through anxiety. I try to hide my large chest under baggy clothes where before I used it for attention. STUPID! My cousin does not seem to have the trauma I do or the nightmares. In her country they are done with secondary school up to two years before us and are more treated like adults sooner. I said mean things to her once because of it. She forgave me but we talk much less since I asked if she has gang bangs all the time. I felt terrible because she even let them have anal sex with her to lure them away from me. I could tell it hurt her so much but at the time was just thinking about my own survival. My childhood is OVER but I do not feel like an adult. Her advice is -Don’t let it get you so down-. Like I have a choice in this!! She went to a therapist ONCE because her mom made the appointment and does not plan to go back. Her life did not really change!! She works reception at a tech company and models on the side and still goes to parties and clubs and dates. How??? It is unbelievable how attitudes toward something like this can be so different in different countries. I am a victim now and I usually feel like it. Definitely damaged. Everybody at my school knows why. I am THAT girl. My new more mature boyfriend is understanding but I feel like a sad little burden to him. I am hypersexual sometimes now and can’t help it. It is a coping mechanism that happens to some victims of sexual assault. I did not ask for it. I worry my boyfriend can’t trust me because of it. I had an older guy friend who’s been my neighbor for years take advantage of me after I told him the story of what happened at his house. We had sex and then he felt guilty for being turned on by my rape story. He admitted it and asked me to forgive him. The sex helped me calm the ear ringing for just short time periods so I did it with him more than once a day for a bit until my dad started to suspect something and talked to him. Since then I don’t trust myself. I want to marry my boyfriend in large part just to protect myself and show him I love him and am loyal even though I am not sure I can be. I worry I cannot love like a normal person. I worry I push him away being too needy and wanting to marry him so soon. I need him more than he needs me. Is that the way it will always be in relationships for rape victims??? I work hard at school not to ruin my future. It is so hard to focus. My ears ring constantly. Thank you for listening.

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    MY SISTER IS MY ABUSER

    My story is very weird because my abuser was my own sister i was about 5 0r 6 when this was happening i only remember parts/vivd memories but i know this had to have gone on for a while because she would sometimes do things with the door open all 2 of my other sisters knew at that time she was 12/13 she tell me to go in her closet to take my clothes off and come out she would then get on top of me we would play a game like cops and robbers and she would ve the cop and id be the robber she would say things moan and i would sit there speechless after i would pretend nothing happened and go about my day one time she put toothpaste on her vagina and made me lick it off my sister oldest one knew and she asked me if i can do it to her to i said no i dont remember what happened after that i never really realized it was wrong until i started to watch shows and stuff but then i felt maybe i was imagining it but i wasnt i kept thinking about it and would cry i remeberd what the closet looked like how normal it felt and thats what disgusts me i never cried because i was so young and didnt realize ik you may think maybe it was house but no she made up a game thats how you know she knew what she was doing was wrong she disguised it so i wouldnt tell after i became hypersexual yes at 6/7 i would take pictures on my leap frog tablet of my butt i would do things with this girl i lived near (ps when we moved it stopped)but when i would go to my friend m house we wouldd ✂️ and it didnt feel wrong i know she approached me and i didn't feel bad or weird so i said yea ik another girl named t taught her t was also sexual for her age she was like 8 but me and my friend m only did it once and a year or 2 later when i started watching crime shows remembering it i tried to asked about it out of curiosity and she denied so i left it alone. I have a toxic mother so i will most likely never tell her me and my sister talk/communicate like nothing never happened she just had a baby but now when i see my sister i don't feel angry thats what makee me feel nasty like did i like it? I didnt but its hard to remember i think simce it happened so long ago i just dont feel for it but one day i will tell my story thank you for listening.

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    Finally able to share.

    As a child I experienced sexual abuse multiple times and the worst part about it is, I do not remember much of my childhood... but I can remember these moments like the most vivid of nightmares. The first time I can remember is being at my fathers girlfriends house. She had a son and I was alone with him at some point and he made me place his privates in my mouth. I do not remember much after that so fast forward to the next time. My grandfather had a heart attack so my cousin and I were left alone with My grandmothers brother. (who is currently in prison for child p**n) I remember sitting on the couch watching TV while he drank and all of a sudden he started to touch me and breathe his nasty beer breath into my face saying inappropriate things to me. He continued to touch me inappropriately and then instructed me and my male cousin (we were 1 year apart in age) to do inappropriate things to each other. This began the normalization of people abusing me and I thought it happened to everyone. I hated it but I thought we were all expected to suffer through in silence. I finally ended up repressing all memories of these horrendous moments and didn't give it a second thought until many years later. Fast forward again to about age 19, I was out drinking with my cousin (not the same as before) and she and I ended up at a house of 3 guys we sort of knew. We were underage and they had booze so we started drinking, to which I was no stranger. I ended up getting so messed up I blacked out, however even though I have no proof, I am convinced I was drugged. I woke up to the owner of the house on top of me and all I remember saying was "ouch" and then I passed out again. I woke up the next morning alone and my cousin was no where to be found, she had left me there the night before, so nothing happened to her. For the longest time I was ignorant to the fact that I was raped and I always thought I deserved it because I got drunk and I did what was expected of me. I wish I had been educated properly in this area and that I had parents that recognized the signs as a child so that maybe I could have received help. I am 31 years old and just now dealing with these traumas. I have opened up to my husband a little bit but not fully as I am still so ashamed. There is so much more to these stories but it feels SO good to know that I can share anonymously and relieve some of the weight off of my heart.

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    We all have broken places, but we are not broken

    In 2007, my ex-husband drove over my foot. He did it out of rage. What followed was something I’ll never forget: ➤ I called the police. ➤ They issued a temporary restraining order. ➤ I went to court, determined to protect myself and my toddler. ➤ He stood before the judge, pleaded, and promised he’d never do it again. ➤ The court believed him. They let him go. The restraining order wasn’t extended. And just like that, I was left to pick up the pieces on my own. I’ve shared parts of my story about surviving domestic violence before. But this part? I’ve kept it to myself. For years, I was ashamed of this story. Not because of what happened to me—but because the world taught me to be ashamed. To be quiet. To “move on” as though resilience meant silence. But here’s the truth: Resilience doesn’t come from silence. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩. This experience, as painful as it was, taught me lessons I couldn’t learn any other way: ➤ I learned how to find my voice, even when no one wanted to hear it. ➤ I learned how to advocate for myself, even when the system failed me. ➤ I learned that survival isn’t the end goal—thriving is. But let’s be clear—this isn’t just about my story. It’s about a culture that protects abusers, excuses toxic behavior, and leaves survivors to fend for themselves. The same culture that let him walk away is the one that: ➤ Enables toxic leadership in workplaces. ➤ Silences survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. ➤ Ignores the mental health toll of these experiences. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 “𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.” Leadership isn’t just about titles or decisions—it’s about creating a world where: ➤ Survivors feel safe to speak up. ➤ Toxicity is called out, not tolerated. ➤ Resilience is celebrated, not silence. Some stories stay with you until you’re ready—today, I’m ready. Let it end with us. NO MORE Week 2025 hashtag#nomoreweek2025 hashtag#SayNoMore, hashtag#EndTheSilence hashtag#nomoreweek from LinkedIn post: link

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    #1304

    So I am currently in a gap year and it has given me a lot of time to think about my future but also my past. I was 9 when it happen, I remember quite a bit and it has been jarring to look at that memory 10 years later. My cousin she was 12 at the time. I was visiting like I normally did at the time but this visit was different as we were left alone in the house for a better part of the day. We were going to take a bath together like we would normally do but then she said she had something to show me while the water was running. She went into her parents room and came back with a magazine, it was a porn magazine. She closed the toilet seat and said that she wanted me to do what some of the men and women in the magazine were doing to her. We kissed, touched each other, and rubbed our genitals together. We then went on to bath and she didn't really say anything after we were done and I didn't really know how to feel because she was all smiles and happy and I was out of it and I think I have been out of it for most of my life because I have never told anybody what happened. It honestly feels like an out of body experience thinking back on it because it was basically buried in my subconscious and It has affected a lot of my life. I don't know if she remembers but I do, and she's meant to come over for Christmas and I don't know what to do because I basically cut off all communication once I remembered what happened. And we are meant to be super close but I don't know how I am meant to interact with her.

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  • Message of Healing
    From a survivor
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    Healing is a feeling of relief and having peace.

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    The Light Bulb Turns On

    Ten days after my daughterX discharge from the hospital, where she had undergone brain surgeries for epilepsy, X was resting in her bedroom and my ex-husband asked me to help him buy something online. I said no (very unusual but I was fixing something for X. to eat) and he exploded, throwing hot coffee on me then trashing the kitchen. And for the first time, a light bulb went on in my mind. The light said, "This is going to stop." Once he saw that something fundamental had changed inside me - that I was indeed serious - he escalated his tactics week by week. We had been married for almost 20 years, and he was absolutely incredulous that I was leaving him. All he knew how to do in response was more assault, more threats, more stalking, more financial theft. He was out of his mind. At one point he stood on the steps outside our house screaming "Why didn't you abort the kids?" over and over. For about 6-8 months I'm pretty sure he was considering doing a murder/suicide. I had to leave everything behind to get away - the home, friends, my job. I sold everything of value that I owned. Since I had grown up in a home of domestic violence, I didn't understand it very well, even as I was being victimized. I didn't know that shoving someone, kicking someone, and throwing objects or hot liquid at someone are all against the law. I didn't know that insults, name-calling, and coercive sex aren't part of normal relationships. I didn't know how dishonest my ex-husband was (and is).

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    #916

    Trigger warning. I was sexually abused at the age of 5. My mom’s boyfriend’s uncle took me on a tractor ride with my brother. My mom’s boyfriend’s uncle pulled down my pants and touched me. He dropped me off by the side of the road and took my brother with him. I ran after the tracker, calling my brother’s name. After he picked us both up, he dropped us off back at the house. I told my grandma what happened, and she wanted to call the cops. My mom said she would take care of it. She didn't do anything. The next time I was abused, I was 6. My mom was with someone else. He was my stepdad. He was drunk and got in bed with me naked. I don't remember what happened now, but my mom told me that I told her he raped me, and she said that I was bleeding. When I was 7, my step-sister wouldn't play Barbies with me unless I kissed and massaged her. She was 9. I should have just said no. I don't know what's wrong with me. When I was 14, my mom was dating someone else, and he would always touch me. I told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. He said I was hot; he touched me everywhere, every day for four years. He chased me around the house, trying to get me to sit on his lap. He stood in my room watching me. I was afraid to go to sleep. I was also scared to change into PJs. I didn't want him coming in on me. I stayed up until midnight because that's what time he got up. When I fell asleep, I dreamed of him raping me. When I woke up, my pants were unbuttoned, and the zipper was down. I don't know if he did anything or not in my sleep. I told my mother what happened, but I don't think she wanted to believe it even though she saw him chase me around the house. At age 19, my boyfriend at the time raped me. I didn't want to do anything with him with his son in the room. He didn't take no for an answer, and he tossed me around like a rag doll. He took my phone and wouldn't let me call anyone. He called his two guy friends to take me home. I shouldn't have gone with them, but they didn't touch me. The guy I was dating gave me my phone back when I got in the car, and I called my grandma. After I went to the cops, they didn't do anything. At the age of 22, I was sexually abused again. I don't feel comfortable saying who. He did apologize, though. Watching Law & Order SVU gave me a sense of justice, watching the rapists go to jail. Mariska Hargitay is my hero.

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  • Message of Hope
    From a survivor
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    It was never your fault ❤️

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    From a survivor
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    YOU ARE HERE: For times of survival, suffering and sorrow

    My name is Survivor and when I was around age 3, my father started raping me. My mother helped hold me down. He was raping her, and she offered me up in her place. This continued until age 23, maybe 24, shortly before my wedding. By the time I was 6, he was raping other members of my family too. He’d come into my room at night and would throw my nightgown up into the headboard and then I’d have to wait my turn in fear and naked shame while others were raped. We had a large waterbed and I still remember the bed rolling up and down, up, and down, up, and down like on a boat. Once done, he wiped me down roughly with a red shop rag he used in cleaning the garage. It allowed him to keep the rag around to smell it and hold it close with no one questioning why it was so dirty with red stains. Most of the time, my dad was friendly and polite. But once he turned into the monster no one did anything to stop him. He never did these things when he was nice. Only when he was the monster. But he used the nice times to make it easier to attack. He would lull you into a false sense of safety and peace which really made you question your intuition and gut instincts that this was a bad man. This made it easier for him to sexually assault other children and adults. As I got older, my parents controlled the narrative of our lives, every aspect was carefully controlled. Like my mom knowing how to force miscarriages. The first abortion forced on me was when I was 15. I don’t know how I managed to make it to adulthood. I continue to remember more and more of the abuse by other family and church members. And other things my dad did within the church where he was pastor and then later deacon. But I still can’t talk about those memories. I think my dad felt like anything he did was inevitable, therefore, never his fault because he couldn’t control himself and when it happened God would forgive him, so it was all right. I know this because I overheard him grooming another family member to do the same things when he was 11 years old. Males in our family were groomed to be abusers too. I was groomed too. To always be the abused. Forced to keep silent, I learned quickly what happens to people who stand up to my dad. They die or get assaulted. As you can imagine, I had terrible anxiety growing up about being sexually assaulted and worked hard to fade into the background. I thought that might help. I thought it mattered what I wore, color of my hair, how much I weighed. It’s taken years and it will probably continue to take years to unlearn the lies I was taught. The worry made me constantly ill with one thing after another-- I got cancer when I was 32 and before that incapacitating vertigo and motion sickness. My parents met while working down in Texas for an independent fundamental Baptist preacher. Lester Roloff—an Independent Fundamental Baptist preacher who opened homes across the country for “troubled” children, teens, and adults. He liked to say he was saving dope fiends, whores, and hippies. I believe many of the children in the homes had already experienced abuse growing up and Lester Roloff homes should have been a safe place to heal. Instead, the kids met caretakers like my parents. My mom was in a charge of the 16 and older home and my dad flew around the country raising money and preaching the party line: men were akin to gods and women were lower than dirt—their only worth was in being a virgin and then baby factories once married. Very masochistic and minimizing of abuse of any kind, my parents ate up the evil rhetoric being preached from the pulpit My parents eventually took their brand of abuse from Lester Roloff’s out into the churches and communities where we lived-from Texas to Washington and eventually into Alaska. He disappeared in a plane over the waters near Anchorage in 2006. The events surrounding his disappearance were always very suspect but intense pressure from my family kept me quiet. Every day for almost three years straight, a family member called and reminded me talking about “our family issues” was causing generational sin to 4 generations. The pressure to keep quiet and do what my family told me to do was so significant I would have rather died than disappoint them. It wasn’t until I set out to heal from all the trauma, that I found out my dad faked his death. I had always been told since he was gone, there was nothing to be done for what I experienced growing up. But let me tell you, knowing he’s still out there perpetrating on other children and men and women really compelled me to come forward. I finally felt free to start talking. Getting past the pressure to stay silent was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Harder, even, than fighting cancer. I have spent many years in intensive CBT, EMDR and Polyvagal therapy learning how to process my wounds in a healthy way. I had pushed for criminal and civil suits against my perpetrators but the Texas statute of limitations don’t allow for justice to be done. So now, I spend my time now speaking on panels, podcasts, and community platforms about the intersections of trauma, faith, and advocacy. One of the biggest honors of my life has been sharing my story and advocating for Trey’s Law on the Texas Senate floor in Spring 2025. Forcing a sexual assault victim to keep quiet is what allowed people like my parents to continue their mistreatment for so many years. I will do what I can to make sure justice isn’t minimized by NDAs and Statute of Limitations. My efforts connect me with survivors, true crime audiences, mental health communities, and faith groups seeking to understand and confront abuse. I invest my time in mentoring survivors, creating resources for healing, and building digital tools to expand access to supportive materials. Because living a life whole and healthy is what I really want for me, all the victims and their families. We make our own opportunities to heal.

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  • Taking ‘time for yourself’ does not always mean spending the day at the spa. Mental health may also mean it is ok to set boundaries, to recognize your emotions, to prioritize sleep, to find peace in being still. I hope you take time for yourself today, in the way you need it most.

    Message of Hope
    From a survivor
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    You are not alone

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  • Every step forward, no matter how small, is still a step forwards. Take all the time you need taking those steps.

    Story
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    Manipulative dads, what can I say? (TW: descriptions of physical abuse)

    My mom wants a divorce but my father refuses to let go. Here's the context, judge as you wish. He was 25 when they informally married, my mom was 18. Despite her being a minor when they met, he showed up at her dorm from where he was working and asked her to elope. The first time he hit my mom was on her first birthday married to him. Because they eloped, my mom didn't want to tell her parents this and risk saddening them further, so she told herself to bear with it. They officially married 3 years later. Since then, he's continued physically abusing her. He also instigates her to the point of yelling, records only her being livid, then shows it to our relatives. Still, my mom even stuck with him when his first business failed and we were all homeless - having to stay at my mom's parents' house and my father's younger brother's house. He's the breadwinner and she's been a homemaker for the past 22 years (the length of their official marriage). More recently he's been financially abusing my mom: taking away all funding (cards) and forcing her to rely on her parents' cash... all b/c she couldn't show him a $25 Walmart receipt for underwear (atp, he had a $300k/yr job). He also controls everything from security access, to refusing to let my mom buy groceries by herself, to access to our car, etc. He keeps claiming that he earned it, not her, so he can "take it all away since nothing is [hers]". My younger sister and I are witnesses of him initiating aggression 99 times out of a 100, but he always brings up the one time my mom also lost her cool for the first and last time LAST NOVEMBER. The thing is, his arm wraps around her neck and squeezes; she tries to get him off of her by scratching, but only her self-defense is visible (which he takes pics of). I've tried to defend my mom, and have been pushing him away from when I was 12 to 17 (he stopped last year when my sister and I admitted that I would've called the cops on him already had it not been for my mom stopping me) but now he denies it. For the last year, he keeps reminding my mom that his bare minimum will also cease "one day" and my mom's tired of his BS. The first Thursday after I came home from my dorm for summer break, me and my mom brought divorce up seriously with a 70% completed packet (with me only acting as just her typist because she doesn't own a laptop and I'm 18+). Since then, we've had numerous arguments because he suddenly doesn't want a divorce and claims this came out of nowhere? Finally, he said he's willing to cooperate as long as this doesn't get out. He preached about being proud for not telling anyone, and pleaded my mom to not tell his family before he could do so personally. That was all a setup. For the next week, he plans exactly who to contact, what to say, and what angle to push. It all came to light last night when he not only contacted his own family, but also my mom's side of the family and took no accountability. Then he made a group chat (including my father's younger brother, my father's older brother, my mom's younger sister, and my mom's younger sister's husband) and got mad at my mother for telling us about it? Hypocrisy much? When confronted, he also said that if my sister and I continue supporting my mom's choice, then he wants nothing to do with us anymore and will never again support my (minor) sister. He also said this word for word in our native language to my younger sister and I - "Her father hit her mother, my father hit my mother - you don't see their kids supporting a divorce, do you?" It was also pretty obvious that he was recording parts of our arguments when he tried to frame me by yelling "Don't come onto me" as if I was charging at him when me, my sister, and my mom were talking to him from the second floor catwalk and he was downstairs in the living room 💀. That made it pretty clear he doesn't actually care about anyone in this family unit and only his image getting tarnished with a divorce (pretty taboo in our native country, where everyone in our family but us lives). At first, his angle was that my mom's only leaving him because his currently (second) business venture is causing financial instability... but my mom quickly pointed out if money was the issue, she would've left LONG ago. His angle now is that my mom is bored at home and that's the sole reason for this divorce, so what can he do - "hire 2-3 men to entertain her while [he] works?" He also keeps yapping about how my mom has manipulated us into turning against our own dad... that we keep bringing up things that "happened before [our] birth"... that he's "fighting a different battle" and doesn't need this drama and emotional coupe. ((MINI VENT, OPTIONAL!! first of all, bruh, we're not blind or deaf nor do we have short term memory loss... mom doesn't have to say shit for us to know you're an abusive father cuz ive quite literally gotten hurt from when you pounced on her like an animal. second of all, you've been physically abusing her for 21 years, verbally abusing her for a decade, exerting coercive control for 7 years, financially abusing her for 2 years... and you claim that me and my sister are only talking about things we dont know about from before our birth? lmfao, give me a break. thirdly, none of us wanted drama either; my mom refused to let you get apprehended and get what you deserve, she refused to let me tell our relatives anything, she tried to make sure we still saw you as a good parent no matter what... and that's somehow an emotional coupe? since when??)) When my mom's younger sister's husband pushed back, asking about the time our neighbors literally called the cops on him (he got off luckily then because my mom didn't want to get him into trouble), he lied and said it was only a "visa check-in". Then, he texted family with a major threat - that anyone who supports my mom will face legal harassment from an attorney they already have (backed by the same younger brother mentioned before, who is now pretty powerful in the foreign state where our entire family lives, and has connections in high-up government positions; my father's older brother is no better, and has made his wife have a female sex-selective abortion twice even though it's illegal to check the baby's gender in our native country). Apparently, he's also been talking shit about my mom's side of the family (who literally sold their jewelry when my father was in a tough spot, then housed and fed our family when we had nothing) to my mom's younger sister's husband, calling them cheap of all things 💀. I just can't bring myself to treat him as a father, especially since he's also been threatening to completely cut me off multiple times over the past year before this whole divorce thing was even brought up, and even told me he doesn't consider me his daughter so many times. He knows we all have to rely on him... especially since my mom's degree isn't valid here so she can't work full-time in what she's trained to do, and also because my visa doesn't allow me to work without official federal permission. He keeps complaining about how my mom doesn't work, but every attempt of hers to get a decent job that would sponsor her visa independently has been shut down by him. Most recently, while he invested tens of thousands of dollars in his latest venture that still hasn't turned profit, he refused to pay for the last step of my mom getting her career back - just simple exam fees for a state board exam - after she passed the much harder national exam for internationally trained professionals. Even if I landed something and my mom took on multiple part-time jobs, it won't be enough to pay for my tuition (which is higher than what most students would pay since I'm considered an international student) along with my mom and sister's needs. Before anyone asks why she hasn't left his sorry ass before, she'd have to go back to our country of origin in order to support herself and my sister. They're just so done with my father now, though, that they're willing to move across borders to get away. However, my father also refuses to sign anything, so to officially serve the divorce papers, my mom will need to contact the Sheriff's office to do it officially. Now, that's the only way she can get the divorce process started if he refuses to confirm he was served the papers, but our family would only villainize her for it to hell and back if someone from the Sheriff's office showed up at the place where he rented a cubicle for his startup. If she doesn't decide to initiate a divorce and just decide to leave, the moment they go back to our native country, all of his relatives will show up at their doorstep and try to talk her out of this, harassing her nonstop. Now, I fear them going back. My aunt is now also warning my mother that my father is planning something big and that he can go to any lengths possible. Recently, he also kept yelling "be prepared" and that it's going to get ugly because he's not holding back on telling anyone anything. I'm genuinely scared of this man, and as strong as I'm trying to be, there's only so much I can do. I wanted to finally rat him out, but my mom warned me that if I do that and he ends up behind bars here while we leave for our country of origin, there's no saying what his brothers will pull on them where they can quite literally bribe people to look away (like they've done before). My sister and mom feel like prisoners in their own home and I have no idea how to help them. For now, I'm trying to help all of us go back for at least a month-and-a-half without escalating anything so that my mom can have the support of her family without anyone blaming her for taking action. My sister used to get upset when I matched my father's decibel level, but now with the new lengths he's taking things to, she gets it and no longer blames me. My mom also used to get frustrated with me for being too harsh with my father when he was still pretending to cooperate; but she's so kind with my frustration now that he's pushed us all past the point of empathy. I'm genuinely so, so grateful for both of them for giving me so much grace, and even though I'm still terrified and we still haven't figured out how things will go, I'm more secure knowing who truly cares about me and who's only in it for the image. I just needed to vent all this out to an audience that won't judge me as harshly as the rest of my family back home would :]

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    #1012

    From 2011 to 2015 I was sexually physically and mentally abused by a man I was romantically involved with that was almost 20 years my senior. I was 17 and attracted to someone i felt at the time was so captivating and wise, and showed interest and attraction with me as well. I knew from the beginning that it was wrong but that’s also what made it exciting. We met in a safe community with people I had known my entire life and he really seemed to understand me and all my complexities. He saw me, which was very important to me at a time where I didn’t really see myself The first time we had oral sex was on a public park bench in a park at night. I was 17, he took me out to sushi and bought me alcohol, said he wanted to go for a walk in the woods after. It was empty and dark, I didn’t feel afraid at first. We stopped at a table to smoke some weed and next thing happened he was having me touch him, and had his dick out in front of his face. He didn’t have a house to go to so here we were. I had never sucked a dick before but I didn’t want him to know that so I did my best. And then it escalated. Fingers and hands were everywhere and he was pulling down his pants on top of me in this public park. I had to stop it. I couldn’t lose my virginity this way and didn’t know how it escalated so quickly. It did cross my mind that he could do whatever he wanted to me right now and there was no one around to hear or help. And that I needed him to find my way out the park and get home. I guess this is one of my earliest memories that shaped how I feel about sex - it’s something that can and should happen anywhere, and it’s something that you - the girl - are withholding from the man. Because that’s what we were, a girl and a man. The first time he hit me was in my college dorm room I guess that’s part of why I never think about college and hate going there All my 4 roommates were out of town and I invited him down for the weekend He brought his 10 year old son We were in a rocky place already, trust issues, control issues The night before I befriended a handsome actor I met at my job at the theater We exchanged numbers I sent a late night text and then deleted the evidence I woke up to bags being packed, chaos in my tiny apartment, sun shining through the windows of what promised to be a beautiful day I was confused but didn’t want to start arguing in front of his son who just said “wait we’re leaving?” Then I saw my phone on the table between, open to the text message response from the man I gave my number to Saying something so obviously flirty that I had nothing to say back I started crying, apologizing, begging him not to go He sent his son to the shower I kept getting in his way He slapped me hard I kept getting in his way The bathroom door was open and they were communicating Then he was on top of me In my living room Hands around my neck Knees on my chest The same place I watched movies with my roommates Studied late in the night sitting up on propped pillows on the floor Feet away I could hear the street People I knew walking to class Laughing Getting on the bus Playing music Did they know what was going on just on the other side of the door How could I reach them I couldn’t breathe He was saying horrible things Staring at me in my eyes with a whole lot of hate and hurt Pushing harder into my chest with his knees His hards clutching0 my throat Telling his son in the calmest voice possible “stay in the shower, I’ll be right there” Then there was a release My mind was spinning, my heart broken, my guilt overwhelming

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    (Name's) story

    I was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship for 4 years. I have 2 daughters, I got out of it just 3 weeks ago. I am now filing for divorce. Im still not completely over it, im still somewhere in the middle. I blame myself for taking it for so long but I also wish he had not been this way. He did love me, or thats what he made me believe. We would have really good moments together, we were like friends most of the time but when something would happen that he would not like, all hell would break loose. He would scream, abuse and then raise his hand. Sometimes her would just raise hiss hand first and abuse later. After the abuse, the next day, he would come to me with bouquets and beg me for forgiveness. He would cry for hours and ask me not to leave him. He would convince me to stay, but he never honoured his commitments to me. He hit me 15 times in the total 4 years of our marriage. I cant believe I let it happen to me, I can’t believe even after being hit 15 times I had hope of things getting better. ❤️‍🩹 I am glad I am out of his house, I am glad I am away from him. I hope I can push through and persevere. The movie it ends with us came at the perfect time, when I saw it I felt it was me. It was me living that experience, being made to feel like I was crazy. The only difference is that lily decided after the 3rd time for me it took -15. But i realised at the end, I cannot out my daughters through such a traumatic childhood. I cannot let it go anymore, so ai took a stand for myself and I left. Now I am filing for divorce. Everyday with every step it only gets harder but I am certain once this is all over it will be much easier.

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  • “Healing is different for everyone, but for me it is listening to myself...I make sure to take some time out of each week to put me first and practice self-care.”

    “I really hope sharing my story will help others in one way or another and I can certainly say that it will help me be more open with my story.”

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    Brutally Used BY A COP after a traffic stop

    In my original shared story, IT STARTED WITH MY BROTHER, I talked about my abuse from a bird’s eye view. It was my abuse life as I was able to share it at the time. I have been working up to sharing 3 instances of rapes that I only avoided by allowing the men to take what they wanted instead of fighting. The most traumatic of the three incidents I mentioned involved a police officer. This is that account. I was pulled over on my way home from a study group as junior at the university on a week night. We had shared two drinks toward the end. I DO NOT condone driving and drinking but I was not drunk, as the breathalyzer later confirmed. I was pulled over and already had the nerves associated with that, amplified by the fact that I was under the legal drinking age for another three weeks. That is when I first met the cop I will just call SIK. He gave me a creepy vibe when I first saw him and that never stopped. Still, I flirted with him to an extent desperate to not get it huge trouble. He had me get out of the car, take of my hoodie, under which I only had a basic sports bra. It was only sixty degrees or so that night. I was cold and shivering from fear and the temperature. I saw him look at my body with no filter. Another cop car pulled up with two officers while I was doing the field sobriety tests. He had already searched me in an uncomfortable way. One of the officers who arrived was female and also searched me after he had said I had some problems with the sobriety tests. Walking backwards on an imaginary line heel to toe was the only thing I had trouble with. It is hard! The female cop brought out the breath test I had asked for. I blew 0.035. That is less than half the legal limit. At that point SIK said he was just going to follow me home, rather than arrest me, and the other car left. The whole stop took maybe an hour. Cars drove by on the side street I had pulled onto. Headlights and tail lights in the dark. After the other car left SIK talked to me more harshly and threatening than ever. He said a girl like me is probably used to getting away with everything. He asserted that he could still take me to jail anytime he decides as as he takes me home and makes sure I am safe everything I do is still a test. He could bust me for possession of alcohol and I would lose my license. I was scared. I told him my roommate was home. She was a student too and was supposed to be there. After following me inside my apartment I called out for my roommate. Then I checked her room. She was not there! SIK then accused me of lying to a police officer and locked the deadbolt from the inside. He made me stand with my hands on my own dining room wall with my legs spread. I wanted to call her so he could talk to her and confirm she was usually there, but he stopped me and made me just text her to see when she would be home. He gave instruction not to ask or say anything more and checked before I sent it. She was at her sisters and would not be back until late. At that point he took off his utility belt and put it on my kitchen counter. He told me after all he had done for me was no longer free, since I lied to him. His gun was right there next to us. He made sure I saw it and he even twisted it so it was pointed toward me. I was scared and pleading with him. I really was willing to do anything. I am not sure but I think I told him that. He radioed from his shoulder thing that he was taking a “lunch” break. What I definitely remember was when he said he was going to do a proper strip search this time, down to full nudity and asked if I agreed to that. At that point I no longer had a doubt what was happening. I made the mental adjustment but what he did was more than I had prepared for. He gave me vulgar compliments about my body as he blatantly molested me. He kneaded my breasts like dough. He fingered me as asked if you could use a special appendage he had that went farther in. I knew what he meant. I was repulsed but I agreed. After the initial eager sex with me still having my hands on the wall leaning forward he slowed down. I had been hoping it was almost over but he decided to prolong it. He commanded me to my bedroom. He took off all his clothes besides his socks. He complemented his own anatomy and made me agree. His member was well above average in size but I doubt, if he had not had a wedding band on, that he would ever get to use it. He was half bald, had a prominent eyebrow like a neanderthal, and a pale beer belly with lots of moles all over his body. He had a mustache and goatee that did not completely hide his poor complexion that looked like he had scars from severe acne. Almost all men all taller than me but he was short and only towered over me by a few inches. Never had I lied bigger than when I told him what he wanted to hear about being sexy and wanting him. The only truth was about his large penis. SIK spoke a lot, mostly degrading me and confirming that I agree with him. Cliche stuff, like me being a whore, slut, dirty, and liking what he made me do to him, but also asked about my sex life and abuse history. He wanted me to say that my dad and coaches abused me, but I would not lie about that. Instead I told him some of the truth about my brother abusing me. That was probably the worst part. Saying out loud to SIK what I never used to admit to anyone, for his great pleasure, harmed me. That was worse that the physical stuff. Worse than making me kiss him during parts of it. He was also cruel. He tried to gag me and push all the way down my throat while he made him do oral. He pushed my ankles behind my head while he pounded me with his abusing thrusts. I could see the cruel lust in his eyes. I could see his wicked smile. He slapped my face many times, just not very hard. He did spank me hard. He realized he had me captive and vulnerable to his whim and he was finally living his darkest fantasies. I was doing anything he wanted and encouraging it because I wanted it to stop. So many times he stopped himself right before he was going to climax! He did not want it to end. SIK tried to have anal sex with me and I was accommodating him but he was just too big to fit. I was crying during most of this out of pain but trying to act like an eager partner to make it end. I later thought that might have prolonged it. SIK was probably the time that would prefer I suffer more, like I was being raped instead of hiding my pain. It was not much longer than twenty minutes but it was so bad and I relived it so many times in my mind before I got smashed drunk and high the next night after work. So the memory lived much more prominently in my head than a simple 25 minute encounter. I do reach climax easily, but I never had one orgasm from him because of his preference for causing sexual pain. When he suddenly released inside me he got quiet and barely said another word as he dressed, gun belt and all, and left quietly. I have no idea what that meant. It scared me. I was afraid while driving for a while, and avoided sleeping at home as much as I could, which sometimes meant sleeping with men and even male friends just to not go home. It was the main reason I did not renew my lease and moved it to a smaller apartment by myself. This was the same roommate whose father had already slept with me without my initial blessing. I did tell my roommate a short version of it and she reacted like it was cool story. I did kind of tell it that way, as a way of dealing with it. The easy path of least resistance. To not admit it may have been the worse sexual thing to happen to me. The true worst things that happened to me in my college years were broken hearts from losing men I loved. But those are stories for a different forum. I don’t put my heart out there to be trampled anymore. This incident was one of the wake up calls that stood out as an omen for me to change my whole lifestyle and try to salvage myself. It was also one of the things that took me the longest to mention to my therapist even though I thought about it during sessions.

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    END VICTIM BLAMING.

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  • Story
    From a survivor
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    "Little Miss Sunshine"

    I was just 10 years old when a family member decided it was okay to play "doctors and nurses with me" it was then when he started to sexually abuse me. I was so oblivious to what was going on, I didn't realise how wrong it was until I grew older, I thought it was normal as he was doing it to his sister too. I was told not to say anything it was a secret between us 3. I blocked it out of my memory until I left school, well I believed a blocked it out, but looking back now I think that is why my behaviour was so defiant. I was just always told I had ADHD/Autism was why I was naughty, but looking back now I think its because I still had to see his face. I eventually disclosed what happened to me once I had left school to a friend, someone I trusted. I needed to tell someone and that's when I really realised how wrong it was and it really hit me. It's surprising how something you push to the back of your mind and block out can really affect you psychologically still. I have 0 confidence and still don't know, I feel worthless, like a failure and I never feel good about myself, I really struggle too. When I disclosed my abuse to someone, it all went so fast, they helped me tell my parents and then my mum helped me reach out to the police. The local police in my area let me down, I realise I had no evidence, because it happened when I was 10 many times, but I still recall what happened, I was brought to a safe house where I had my interview, I felt violated all over again. the questions they asked me, it brought everything back. It didn't even make it to court the police came to the conclusion that it was "JUST A GAME BETWEEN TWO KIDS" they believe there was no maliciousness behind it - A Game - These words have stay with me since then and I can never shake them off, it was not just a game he knew what he was doing, he understood and had full capacity of what he was doing to me. He didn't even make it onto the register, even though he was doing it to his sister as well. The worst part is going though it at such a young age, then having the courage to speak out and then not being believed and told it was a game really affects me to this day, even though I don't like to show it does, I'm very much a girl who makes jokes and smiles all the time to get past the trauma, even having dark humour to cover up the hurt I feel inside, I have always let this abuse, being SA'd affect me. I can't have Sex with men, I feel broken and damaged, I want to be able to have fun but every time I go to have fun I close up and I physically struggle to have sex with men, and when I do have sex with them I do it to make them happy because I feel so bad about letting t hem down and failing as a partner. Maybe I haven't moved past my trauma as much I think I have. I think I still have a lot of healing to go. I recently encountered something at work, which again I was let down people that I thought would help me, I feel so hurt and so Alone. A couple months ago I was working in my local hospital It was my favourite job, I was helping people through chemo and there cancer treatment, I was, as many of my patients called me 'Their little ray of sunshine on a gloomy day' ☀️. I was working on a night shift and was approached by an agency worker who start talking to me, and me being me was nice to him and talking away, like I do with everyone I am a very friendly person and he took my being nice as a invitation to try it on with me, which I said no thank you. and he continued to touch me, and at one point got his man hood out which again I said 'No' he grabbed my hand to touch it, which I continued to say no, he told me keep to down, stay silent and feel what I was doing to him, I tried pulling my hand away. I went numb and started to just shut down. Luckily saved by the bell, someone was needing assistant and we were the only two working so he went and answered the bell and told me he will come back later, at the time I was heading on my break too sleep in the staff room, I was terrified to sleep, even though I locked the door so he couldn't get in I was so upset about what just happened, he said he would follow me home. I told the nurse in charge what had happened and he was moved to another ward in the hospital. They told me in order to do anything I need to write a statement and they could involve the police but I would have to go to court, do a statement, re live what happened, face him, which at the time I was just to traumatised to do because I wasn't believed last time anything happened and I couldn't face him, he was banned from the hospital and was not allowed to work in healthcare establishment after that, he then disappeared no one knew where he went or where he was. I took a few days off work for 'Mental health' as I got 'triggered' (I word I don't like to use) and I got penalised because of it. I have recently lost my job and I tried to fight my corner and had a tribunal due to me being off for sickness, the head of nursing turned around to me in the tribunal and told me 'Being off sick for the 'alleged sexual assault was not a good enough reason'. Again making me feel absolute shit as if she didn't believe me and my reason for being off which I only took a few days off to just try and sort my head out and find my worth made me feel like my reason was not validated and even if I was to take anything further regarding the SA in the hospital, they would not of supported to me anyways. Every day I am constantly having a battle in my head about being good enough. I get scared and also feel like I shouldn't share my story because what happened to me isn't half as bad as what some people have gone through. Did I lead them on? If only I wasn't too scared to speak up? Did I flirt with him or make him want me? questions I ask myself daily... I know I was only 10 but when people who are meant to be people you can trust and have authority tell you its a game, it does make me question still now to this day was it a game, a game that hurt me, and made me feel very uncomfortable and a game I didn't like, but still just a game between two. Law and Order and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has saved my life, oddly it is my comfort show and helps me through some dark times and helped me understand and also know that it is wrong what happened to me. I also learnt its okay to share your story and it is always good to speak out about it, don't feel you're a burden or you're worthless, you are never alone there Is always someone out there that will be there for you. I am on a journey like everyone else that has suffered and been through some dark times and I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I am not alone, I think sharing my story will really help me feel less alone, I hope more people are able to speak up even if it is just through this. You are not Alone <3 sorry for such a long post

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  • Message of Hope
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    I find my hope in my children and my happiness now that I am free of him.

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    From a survivor
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    The Fear That Follows Me by Survivor Name

    Remember how scary the first day of high school was? New building, new classes, new faces. I have known many people in my grade since kindergarten, but now seniors are walking around, with car keys and established boyfriends. Many of them scare me. “Ok, let's just find first period.” Having gotten through every class but one, my nerves started to settle. Biology was the last period of the day, with Teacher. I walk in the door and recognize some people as she starts assigning our seats alphabetically. I find my seat near the front of the room and turn around and see the back of a guy’s head. “Nice hair.” I would soon learn that his name was Name 2 and I found him attractive. I had yet to speak to him and refused to allow myself to develop a crush. This would continue until early September when we were seated next to each other. My reservations about developing a crush quickly vanished. I was telling anyone I trusted about him. I was flirting and having a good time. At the end of one class, I asked him if he wanted to study sometime at the library. During homecoming, I direct messaged him on Instagram to see if he was there. The day after homecoming, I went into an inpatient facility for unrelated mental health issues. I was gone for about a month. During this time, I had hoped that when I returned we would still be seated together. This was not the case. After I came back, I wanted to keep my head down and get my work done. For three months this is exactly what I did. From late October to December, I had a crush but was less giddy to tell anyone. Once we returned for the spring semester, things started to quickly go downhill. I am sitting at a table in the back with one of Name 2’s best friends, Name. One day, he starts prodding me to learn who I have a crush on. I let it slip that it was Name 2 and now the floodgates have opened. Every day at the end of class, Name would call Name 2 over as he would ask me disturbing questions about his or Name 2’s genitalia. Or things about my body. I was truly appalled. When I told him who I liked, I never asked for this. I never wanted this. This went on until early February. My seat did not change for a while, but theirs did. Name 2, Name, and his two other friends were all seated at the front of the room. The desks lined the sides of the room and they were directly diagonal from me. With the four of them together, it was a gang mentality to harass and intimidate me. It felt as if every day I would hear my name and a sexual comment. This all culminated one day when we watched a Bill Nye episode on the law of attraction. I was uncomfortable during the entire thing. Name 2 and his friends must have picked up on this, as once the episode was over, I heard Name yelling my name from across the room. “Survivor Name, Survivor Name! Look at this!” To my absolute horror, I turn around to see one guy in a chair and another straddling him, pretending to be making out. It was clearly supposed to be Name 2 and I. There were a few minutes left in class, and I was trying to hold back tears. “Was this really happening? Am I a joke?” I tried to ignore it but realized it had gotten out of hand. I talked to Teacher Name after class to tell her what was happening. I break down in tears as she explains this is bullying and harassment. She brought me to the psychologist where I cried to have my dad pick me up. “I’m done!” At this moment I truly felt hopeless and saw how bad the situation had gotten. I had tied my self-worth and identity to a crush. I had direct messaged Name 2 to end the harassment. Nothing happened, but I still wanted to believe that he would tell his friends to knock it off and that deep down he was a good person. Instead, he was a bystander who let it happen, while actively seeing the pain and suffering I experienced. I was no longer allured or attracted to him. This attraction turned to anger and resentment and would remain that way until I graduated high school. Looking back, I do remember my first day of high school. I found first period and every other class. My last period of the day would cause me so much stress that I would get the shakes. I would cry to my English teacher to let me stay. While this used to be one of the worst times in my life, I have learned so much about myself that I could have never expected. I am so much stronger than I ever realized. My self-worth is not connected to someone else. I am worth it and no boy can ever take that away from me. Thank you for reading my story.

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    Grounding activity

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    5 – things you can see (you can look within the room and out of the window)

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    Hold an object in your hand and bring your full focus to it. Look at where shadows fall on parts of it or maybe where there are shapes that form within the object. Feel how heavy or light it is in your hand and what the surface texture feels like under your fingers (This can also be done with a pet if you have one).

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