April is sexual awareness month
April is sexual awareness month
Since this subject is near and dear to my heart and with the convictions of Bill Cosby, R Kelly and Harvey Weinstein, I wanted to give everybody some staggering facts about sexual abuse.
* Approximately only 30% of sexual assault cases are reported to authorities.
* 962,939 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in 2012.
*Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault.
*On average, there are 433,648 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States.
These are some chilling statistics and this is happening each and every day. With these facts you can guarantee that this has or will happen to someone you know and love, how eye opening is that?
I have always been a huge advocate of speaking out about rape and now with these documentaries that are coming out all over and the fact that I was blessed to be part of one as well, we are opening people's eyes.
We are showing what the "victims" look like, how we can be any age, any race even male or female. This shows what we go through and how even years later, this still affects our lives.
With Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, R Kelly and even our President getting exposed we are finally seeing some type of conversation about this terrible crime. While I was doing the documentary about rape and sexual assault, I've come to realize that this does not only happen to women, it happens to children, to men, to everyone no matter of age, race, demographics, religion,it doesn't matter, it affects everyone.
I was also shocked to realize that most people don't tell until later on in their lives and only 30% of victims tell at all.
What?? We should be outraged at that fact alone.
And so many people have the same reaction about people coming out years later to talk about it. My girlfriend said during the documentary I was filing "Well, why didn't these women step up sooner? How can you believe them 30 years later?"
I can only tell you from personal experience that I thought it was my fault. I thought because I knew him, because I took a ride with him, because I smoked a joint with him, that it was somehow my fault. Even though I said no, when I screamed no, when I kicked and scratched at him screaming NO! and he still raped me, even then, I thought that somehow it was my fault.
Society makes us feel that way, because he didn't jump out from a dark alley, or behind some bushes that it had to be something that you did. You must have dressed a certain way, said something for him to think it was okay, did something to turn him on?
We don't speak out because we don't think we will ever get justice and if we are lucky enough to get to court, we are then dragged through the mud, we are made to seem like the predator not the victim. They will bring up our sexual history and our lives will be taken apart and analyzed for the world to see and to victimize us yet again.
For some people it may have been a family member and you are afraid of what it will do to your family. It might be a father, uncle, grandfather and you're afraid of the things they told you they would do to you or your family. Maybe these women that were raped or assaulted by Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, R Kelly and #45 didn't think anyone would believe them over a well loved and popular celebrity.
There are so many reasons we are afraid to speak up but to victimize us again makes you as bad as the perpetrators. This is about and should always be about having the courage to step forward knowing people will judge you for a crime you had nothing to do with. Letting the world into our pain, to rip off that band aid that is sometimes holding us together, to expose ourselves yet again.To relive the memories that haunt us when we sleep and bring them out into the daylight to haunt us there as well.
Yes, there are many reasons we keep silent but keeping silent only makes more victims. Most abusers abuse over and over again and do it to more than one person, more than one family member and if you don't tell, it will happen to another person...guaranteed.
We need to talk about this, we need to post about it on social media, we need to make more documentaries like these. We need to talk about it in schools, in our churches, at the dinner table, it needs to come out of the dark and we need to shine a bright light on it.
Maybe just maybe, with the conviction of Bill, Harvey and R.Kelly we will get the ball rolling not just on rich, famous, privileged men out there doing this but on the everyday Joe's who are preying on our children, who are destroying lives out here each and every day.
So today my friends please watch the amazing documentary we did, follow us on social media @thisisseries
Repost our YouTube videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJ_Pok09y1miS0kmdUeoMA
Let's talk about this, we need to speak out and get help. If you or someone you know needs help please contact me and I will put you in contact with some amazing groups to help you heal.
We need change so let your voice be heard!
All of our voices together can and will change this…
And remember what I say at the end of every blog...
"Be the change you want to see"
"And just when the caterpillar thought his life over...he turned into a beautiful butterfly"
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