Sexual Assault Survivors Write Messages They Wish They'd Received
This piece is part of Not Your Fault, a Teen Vogue campaign that aims to educate people about the epidemic of sexual assault. For more on this series, click here.
Earlier this month, Vice President Joe Biden and It’s On Us held a special event in New York City to honor the student heroes who have taken courageous steps to end sexual assault on campus.
The purpose of the event, as well as the It's On Us campaign, has been to fundamentally shift the way we think and talk about sexual assault and engage young people to stand up on their college campuses and communities. This is so necessary because when sexual assault survivors come forward with their stories, they are often met with harassment and shame. As a result, many survivors never receive the support they need. With the help of SafeBAE, Teen Vogue asked some of the sexual assault survivors in attendance to write notes to themselves with the messages they wish they'd received after their assaults.
Click through to read them.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can seek help by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673). For more resources on sexual assault, visit SafeBae, RAINN, End Rape on Campus, Know Your IX, and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
1/6"I know it seems impossible now, but it will get better, and you will use this experience to make things better."
2/6"It's okay to take time off from school or work or your regular routine and activities. You're entitled to slow down and heal. Your mind and your body just went through trauma."
3/6"It's not your fault. No matter what you wore or drank or said. Now's the time to be kind to yourself."
4/6"There's no right way to feel or behave or act. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise!!! One day you're guilty the next day angry, the next numb, and some days you're fine. But know ALL ARE NORMAL."
5/6"I know it doesn't feel like it, but your body will be yours again."
6/6"There will be a time in your life when you'll trust intimacy again."
