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Sexual Assault Quotes

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Sexual Assault Quotes

“Being indifferent about sexual abuse is an absolute assault on the truth of who the victim is!”

IndifferenceSexual AbuseAbuse SurvivorsSexual AssaultChildhood TraumaAbused WomenChildhood Sexual AbuseJIndifference And BullyingChildhood Abuse Quotes
Book:Breaking Free From the Chains of Silence: A respectful exploration into the ramifications of abuse hidden behind closed doors
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“Whenever I hear a survivor say they wish they'd had the courage to come forward, I instinctively shake my head. It was never about your courage. Fear of retaliation is real. Security is not free. It bothered me that coming forward should feel like heading toward a guillotine. I don't think most survivors want to live in hiding. We do because silence means safety. Openness means retaliation. Which means it's not the telling of the stories that we fear, it's what people will do when we tell our stories.”

CourageSexual AssaultSexual Violence
Book:Know My Name
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“the person who did this to you is broken. Not you. The person who did this to you is out there, choking on the glass of his chest. It is a windshield and his heartbeat is a baseball bat: regret this, regret this. Nothing was stolen from you. Your body is not a hand-me-down. There is nothing that sits inside you holding your worth, no locket that can be seen or touched, fucked from your stomach to be left on concrete.”

InspirationalWomenStrengthSelf WorthWorthRapeSexual AssaultMetoo
Book:The Bones Below
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“Women facing sexual violence rarely speak up or call the police because they know what awaits them. Even good men hate it when women express their feelings, often responding with mockery, insults or threats. There’s a box in the minds of American men, a box labeled 'Girl Problems,' into which men can stuff any complaint made by women they wish to ignore.”

WomenFeminismFeministGirlsWomen S RightsSexual AbuseRapeAmerican CultureSexual AssaultSexual Violence
Book:Gods of the Flesh: A Skeptic's Journey Through Sex, Politics and Religion
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“But no matter how much evil I see, I think it’s important for everyone to understand that there is much more light than darkness.”

GodSpiritualityHopeJusticeHealingHealthDepressionEmpowermentShameMental HealthRecoverySexual AbuseRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceSpiritual Health
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“If telling men "don't rape" instead of telling women "don't get raped", is like telling thieves "don't steal" instead of home owners to "lock your houses", why don't we hear more victims of home invasion being told "you got what you deserved for having such a beautiful house on display for everyone to see" ???”

HomeFeminismCrimeVictimFeministSexismRapeSexual AssaultRape CultureSexual Violence
Book:Embrace Your Sexual Self: A Practical Guide for Women
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“I wished I didn't need an ocean of space to feel comfortable. I still wanted to be loved. Yet again I felt like two people: one who desperately needed a hug, and one who would break apart at the slightest touch. How could I get people to keep their distance without leaving completely? How long would it take for them to get tired of the way I flinched and evaded?”

LonelinessTraumaTouchingSexual Assault
Book:Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teenager
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“Intimidated, old traumas triggered, and fearing for my safety, I did what I felt I needed to do.”

LifeGovernmentTruthAmericaQuotesHopePoliticsGrowthHurtMemoriesJusticeHealingFamilyPowerUnited StatesGrowing UpViolenceCrimeYouthInspireAnxietyLivingSurvivalOvercomingPoliceSafetyQuoteSouthInjusticeCorruptionMemoirFighterHopefulControlSurvivorSouthernChild AbuseUnited States Of AmericaLaw EnforcementPowerlessPtsdDomestic ViolencePoliticiansSexual AbuseFamily RelationshipsRapeFamily DramaSurviveAnxiety DisordersJustice SystemViolence Against WomenArizonaSexual AssaultLawsDomestic AbuseRape CultureSexual ViolenceCrime And PunishmentPhysical AbusePanic AttacksLawmakersSurvivors Of AbuseRed TapePedophileRape SurvivorDomesticPowerful StoryHopeful HeartPanic AttackRape Of A ChildPost Traumatic StressAdvocatesRapedEnable AbuseAnxiety Attack
Book:Debbie.
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“Today I wore a pair of faded old jeans and a plain grey baggy shirt. I hadn't even taken a shower, and I did not put on an ounce of makeup. I grabbed a worn out black oversized jacket to cover myself with even though it is warm outside. I have made conscious decisions lately to look like less of what I felt a male would want to see. I want to disappear.”

LifeGovernmentTruthAmericaQuotesHopePoliticsGrowthHurtMemoriesJusticeHealingFamilyPowerUnited StatesGrowing UpViolenceCrimeYouthInspireAnxietyLivingSurvivalOvercomingPoliceSafetyQuoteSouthInjusticeCorruptionMemoirFighterHopefulControlSurvivorSouthernChild AbuseUnited States Of AmericaLaw EnforcementPowerlessPtsdDomestic ViolencePoliticiansSexual AbuseFamily RelationshipsRapeFamily DramaSurviveAnxiety DisordersJustice SystemViolence Against WomenArizonaSexual AssaultLawsDomestic AbuseRape CultureSexual ViolenceCrime And PunishmentPhysical AbusePanic AttacksLawmakersSurvivors Of AbuseRed TapePedophileRape SurvivorDomesticPowerful StoryHopeful HeartPanic AttackRape Of A ChildPost Traumatic StressAdvocatesRapedEnable AbuseAnxiety Attack
Book:Debbie.
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“He told me that if I hung up, he'd do it. He would commit suicide. He told me that if I called the cops he would kill every single one of them and I knew that he had the potential and the means to do it”

LifeGovernmentTruthAmericaQuotesHopePoliticsGrowthHurtMemoriesJusticeHealingFamilyPowerUnited StatesGrowing UpViolenceCrimeYouthInspireAnxietyLivingSurvivalOvercomingPoliceSafetyQuoteSouthInjusticeCorruptionMemoirFighterHopefulControlSurvivorSouthernChild AbuseUnited States Of AmericaLaw EnforcementPowerlessPtsdDomestic ViolencePoliticiansSexual AbuseFamily RelationshipsRapeFamily DramaSurviveAnxiety DisordersJustice SystemViolence Against WomenArizonaSexual AssaultLawsDomestic AbuseRape CultureSexual ViolenceCrime And PunishmentPhysical AbusePanic AttacksLawmakersSurvivors Of AbuseRed TapePedophileRape SurvivorDomesticPowerful StoryHopeful HeartPanic AttackRape Of A ChildPost Traumatic StressAdvocatesRapedEnable AbuseAnxiety Attack
Book:Debbie.
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“There are two types of memory frequently experienced by individuals who have had overwhelming trauma that has been suppressed psychologically or chemically. The first is general memory, experienced as an adult, in which there is a natural recall of early events. The other is the memory that is often associated with post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS). The person suddenly smells, sees and feels as though he or she is actually living the event that took place months or years earlier. Many soldiers who survived horrifying combat experiences have PTSS. This has frequently been discussed in terms of Vietnam veterans who suddenly mentally find themselves in the jungle, hiding from the enemy or assaulting people they see as a threat. The fact that they have not been in Vietnam for decades and that they are experiencing the flashbacks in shopping malls, at home or at work does not change what they are mentally reliving. But PTSS has existed for centuries and has affected men, women and children in the midst of all wars, horrifying natural disasters and other traumatic experiences. This includes physical and sexual abuse when growing up. the PTSS Cheryl was experiencing more and more frequently, in which she found herself seeing, feeling and re-experiencing events from her childhood and adolescence had become overwhelming. She knew she needed to get help.”

HorrorAbuseStressMental HealthMemoryTraumaChild AbusePtsdOverwhelmedSexual AbuseRapeSoldiersSexual AssaultTraumaticFlashbacksPtss
Book:Secret Weapons: How Two Sisters Were Brainwashed to Kill for Their Country
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“To look into the eyes of a vulnerable person is to see yourself as you might be. It’s a more harrowing experience than one might readily admit. There is a version of yourself made powerless, status diminished, reliant upon the goodwill of others. One response is empathy: to shore up your reserves of charity and trust, in hopes that others will do the same. Another is denial: If you refuse to believe you could ever be in such a position — perhaps by blaming the frail for their frailty or ascribing their vulnerability to moral failure — then you never have to face such an uncomfortable episode of imagination. You come away disgusted with the weak, but content in the certainty you aren’t among them. Or they make you feel helpless, just by dint of how little you can do to stop what’s being done to them. The temptation in that case is to look away, let it all be someone else’s problem, or deny that there’s a problem in need of resolution in the first place.”

SufferingSinSexual Assault
Author:Elizabeth Bruenig
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“In my mind, I built stairways. At the end of the stairways, I imagined rooms. These were high, airy places with big windows and a cool breeze moving through. I imagined one room opening brightly onto another room until I'd built a house, a place with hallways and more staircases. I built many houses, one after another, and those gave rise to a city -- a calm, sparkling city near the ocean, a place like Vancouver. I put myself there, and that's where I lived, in the wide-open sky of my mind. I made friends and read books and went running on a footpath in a jewel-green park along the harbour. I ate pancakes drizzled in syrup and took baths and watched sunlight pour through trees. This wasn't longing, and it wasn't insanity. It was relief. It got me through.”

PainReliefDissociationSexual Assault
Book:A House in the Sky
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“Which men are most likely to be controlling? Those who are lower in mate value. These men ramp up heavy mate guarding because they believe they have lucked out in attracting a desirable woman and believe that she will be difficult or impossible to replace.”

MenViolenceFeminismAssaultEvolutionary PsychologySexual Assault
Book:When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault
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“The modern proliferation of porn consumption, in short, has escalated both conflict between the sexes and the harms of female-female competition. The technology behind porn is modern. The sexual psychology it exploits is evolutionary ancient.”

MenSexWomenPornographyEvolutionary PsychologySexual AssaultPorn
Book:When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault
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“Female choice about when, where, with whom, and under which conditions they consent to sex is the deepest and most fundamental component of women's sexual psychology. It is a fundamental human right. Although men have coevolved strategies to undermine it, that freedom of choice should never be compromised.”

MenSexWomenEvolutionary PsychologySexual Assault
Book:When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault
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“How often do we hear from the local diocesan people—the bishop, the communications director, the victim assistance coordinator, and others—that this abuse is not restricted to clergy, but, rather, it is a societal problem? It does occur outside in the public realm. When was the last time you heard of a sex offender not being held accountable for his actions once caught? The Church treated the abuse as a sin only and nothing more. Out in society, sex offenders are not moved to another community quietly. “But protest that priests are 'no worse' than other groups or than men in general is a dire indictment of the profession. It is surprising that this attitude is championed by the Church authorities. Although the extent of the problem will continue to be debated, sexual abuse by Catholic priests is a fact. The reason why priests, publicly dedicated to celibate service, abuse is a question that cries out for explanation. Sexual activity of any adult with a minor is a criminal offense. By virtue of the requirement of celibacy, sexual activity with anyone is proscribed for priests. These factors have been constant and well-known by all Church authorities” (Sipe 227−228).”

LawChurchSinCrimeCatholicVictimBlamePunishmentDenialRepentanceSurvivorChild AbuseSexual AbuseRapeExcusesSexual AssaultCelibacyCriminalParishPriestPedophileSociety ProblemBishopCoverupAuthoritiesClergy AbuseCelibateDiocese
Book:In the Shadow of the Cross: The True Account of My Childhood Sexual and Ritual Abuse at the Hands of a Roman Catholic Priest
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“If you have been raped or sexually assaulted and you have been blamed, or fear that you may be blamed, I just want you to understand this: You are not to blame. There is nothing you did to make someone hurt you, nor is there anything you could have done differently to prevent or stop it.”

SpiritualityHopeHealingDepressionEmpowermentTraumaEmpoweringSpiritual GrowthSexual AbuseRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceVictim BlamingSuicide Thoughts
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“Just one person. It really honestly just takes one positive person. One positive person can help you. And that can go a long, long way. - Alexis”

HopeHealingSelf HelpSelf ImprovementEmpowermentSexual AbuseRapeEmpowering WomenSexual AssaultSexual Violence
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“Always know there are friends somewhere rooting for you. There are people you don’t know, always praying for you and lifting you before God. - Jenee, from "To the Survivors".”

GodSpiritualityHopeHealingDepressionEmpowermentShameRecoveryRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceSuxual Abuse
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“I think it is important to recognize one’s power, one’s capacities, and one’s dreams. We were actually talking about this in the last men’s group we had. We were talking about these dreams they had as kids and how they just disappeared. They just seemed like they couldn’t even be followed anymore. So for me that’s a loss of power. That’s a loss of their power; their own belief that they control their world. But they need to understand that their actions matter." - Chris”

InspirationalInspirationEmpowermentRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceMale Sexual AbuseMale Rape
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“I think I just said it, but I think it’s worth repeating. They gave me hope that there is good in the world out there. There really is. It really does exist. Regardless of how bad things can be, and how down on your luck you can be, or how bad your trust is broken when it comes to warming up to people and all that stuff, I know that there’s people out there that genuinely wanna help. Putting yourself in that position is a huge step, and it’s a very risky and fragile step, but it’s also a step that needs to be taken because there is help. And you can get through something like this. You really can. - Jim, from "To the Survivors”

GodSpiritualityHopeJusticeHealingHealthDepressionEmpowermentShameMental HealthRecoverySexual AbuseRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceSpiritual Health
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“An engaging examination of a painful subject, with a focus on healing and forgiveness. - Kirkus Review”

GodSpiritualityHopeJusticeHealingHealthDepressionEmpowermentShameMental HealthRecoverySexual AbuseRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceSpiritual Health
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“Some of the most effective segments are interviews with various staff members, including Aila, who works for the center’s legal department. She explains the difficulties of rape prosecution, concluding that “only the survivor” can truly define justice. - Kirkus Review”

GodSpiritualityHopeJusticeHealingHealthDepressionEmpowermentShameMental HealthRecoverySexual AbuseRapeSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceSpiritual Health
Book:To the Survivors: One Man's Journey as a Rape Crisis Counselor with True Stories of Sexual Violence
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“The shame, embarrassment, feeling of low self-worth, and scores of "labels" we give ourselves are not fitting. I am beginning to see how I had no control over the situation. He was a big man, I was a little boy.”

HealingJourneyRegretVictimBlameGuiltPainfulProtectionRecoveryTherapySurvivorRapePsychologistPsychotherapySexual AssaultPriestOnionClergy AbusePriest AbuseSexdual Abuse
Book:In the Shadow of the Cross: The True Account of My Childhood Sexual and Ritual Abuse at the Hands of a Roman Catholic Priest
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“It wasn't a sign of weakness to tell what happened to me. I feel guilt no longer, only regret. The other emotions are coming around too. How much further do I need to go? I'm not sure, but there is comfort in the fact that I am in the hands of expert guides, both in the doctor's office and at home with Sue.”

HealingJourneyRegretVictimGuiltPainfulProtectionRecoveryTherapySurvivorRapePsychologistPsychotherapySexual AssaultPriestSurvivors Of AbuseOnionClergy AbusePriest AbuseSexdual Abuse
Book:In the Shadow of the Cross: The True Account of My Childhood Sexual and Ritual Abuse at the Hands of a Roman Catholic Priest
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“As I let it out, layer by layer, Dr. Driscoll helped with the bumps and valleys. He knew just how much to draw out of me and how much I could handle. He is such an expert in his profession. He told me that the guilt I was feeling was not guilt, but regret. Guilt is a good thing. It is a mechanism by which we shouldn't make the same mistake twice. If you do something questionable, then the next chance you get to do it, guilt should stop you. I had no guilt. I had regrets, many regrets, but no guilt. It took some convincing, but he prevailed. There was always a nagging in my head, that if only I had had the guts to kill Neary myself, it would have stopped him from harming others, but that was not to be as a small boy. It does hurt that, maybe, just maybe, if I had carried out one of my many plans to kill him and myself then I could have saved victims younger than I. As victims come forward from almost all the churches where he served—and some are twenty—five plus years my junior—I feel that they would have been spared, if only I hadn't chickened out as a boy. Therein lies the answer; I was a little boy, a ten—year—old boy. Other victims of Neary were as young as six.”

HealingJourneyRegretVictimBlameGuiltPainfulProtectionRecoveryTherapySurvivorRapePsychologistPsychotherapySexual AssaultPriestOnionClergy AbusePriest AbuseSexdual Abuse
Book:In the Shadow of the Cross: The True Account of My Childhood Sexual and Ritual Abuse at the Hands of a Roman Catholic Priest
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“Even if everyone knows her story, no one really knows how she feels. It pours out now: her rage, her shame, her guilt-- it still lingers. But with the telling comes a sense of empowerment. She has no culpability in the Brijee matter. None, other than being naive and being a woman. During the inquiry she had tapped into the righteousness that was her due; she slapped down the least suggestion that she might be a fault. She had learned a lesson: to show weakness, to be tearful or shattered didn't serve her. One shouldn't just hope to be treated well: one must insist on it.”

JusticeHealingFeminismTraumaSexual AssaultWomens Empowerment
Book:The Covenant of Water
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“Healing will come with trying different things, and in order to find what works, you might have to try some things that ultimately don’t work. That’s okay. What’s important is that you’re taking steps, one day at a time. Educating yourself, apologizing sincerely, and working to support them moving forward will go a long way.”

HealingTraumaPtsdSexual AssaultSexual Violence
Book:We Are the Evidence: A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault
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“We all like to think that we’ll handle difficult times with clarity and perfection, but we’re all human. If someone has already disclosed to you and you’re realizing that you didn’t respond the way you would now that you know more about sexual assault, it’s not too late to tell them that you’re ready to be a strong support for them. Educating yourself, apologizing sincerely, and working to support them moving forward will go a long way.”

HealingTraumaPtsdSexual AssaultSexual Violence
Book:We Are the Evidence: A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault
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