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Stephanie was sexually assaulted by her uncle on a regular basis between the ages of four and twelve. “It was something I had kept to myself for so long. It really molded a lot of my thoughts, my feelings, my behaviors. It was this huge burden.”
Kassie Edwards was sexually assaulted by a stranger at her university's library while at her work-study job. “You should tell somebody. It doesn’t matter who; go to a friend, mom, dad. If you can’t report it to the police, tell someone you trust.”
Iraida Torres was 14 years old when she returned to the Manhattan apartment building where her family lived, only to be kidnapped before she reached their unit. A man held a knife to her and forced her into a different apartment in the building, where she was held hostage with two other people.
Erin Helfert was a master’s student when she returned to Morocco to research gender-based violence and criminal justice. “I didn’t intend to become the subject of the very thing I was researching in Morocco,” she recalled. “But there I was.”
Jeanette Morelan faced plenty of challenges during her sophomore year of college: being elected student body preseident, managing family stress, and surviving sexual assault.
For two years, Scott Weaver was sexually abused by his mother's boyfriend. “I wanted to tell someone, but I was afraid of not being believed. He threatened me.”
Isabella was a freshman in high school when she began dating a girl who controlled and sexually abused her. Now a senior in college, Isabella speaks out about what happened to her and wants others to understand queer sexual violence.
Tiffany living far from home and training for the Olympics in figure skating when she was sexually abused by her coach's husband. She shares her story of resilience and strength to let survivors know they are not alone.
At just 17, Megan enlisted in the Marine Corps, seeking financial and professional independence, and a chance to serve in the armed forces. She’s overcome many obstacles to get to where she is today, including experiencing sexual assault on base.
Lilly shares her message to supportive friends and family: “It’s not going to be an overnight thing. It could take months or years. The biggest priority is making sure that the person who is being abused understands that this isn’t safe, and that you support them.”