RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. Their website has countless resources and interviews with victims of sexual assault. RAINN provides a safe place for all people to come together, learn, and share their experiences of sexual violence. Check out their website now at rainn.org.
The idea behind RAINN is that there are only two options: victim or perpetrator. By educating yourself about sexually abusive situations, you can help prevent them from happening in the future and show your support for those who have already been affected by these types of violence. The more information we have available to us on the subject, the better off we’ll be in stemming this negative trend in our society and re-building the trust that’s so important between survivors and those they reach out to in a time of need.
If no one supports, defends, and stands with the very individuals who have experienced sexual violence, they can’t voice their opinions on the subject. You would think every survivor would be grateful for the support and would not need to take additional risks by coming out as victims. Surprisingly enough, many survivors have been told by family members or other close associates that this type of sexual violence is not severe and that they are overreacting. Many still live their everyday lives, not voicing their problems with anyone outside themselves, hoping they will go away before it gets too out of hand.
Nowadays, we can see sexual assault and rape affecting younger generations more than ever before. As children, we are taught to respect our bodies, how they are supposed to look and feel, where they should be, and when. Nowadays, we see less “innocent” behavior towards ourselves and those we come in contact with to fit in with a particular group of people.