Speaking our Truths About Sexual Assault

It’s a story we hear too often, the reasons why women don’t report instances of sexual assault. Most of the reasons are fear based, as fear becomes an ever-present passenger in the minds and hearts of sexual assault survivors.

Some common examples are fear of:

Attacks on our character.

Being blamed.

No one believing us.

Embarrassment.

Shame.

Guilt.

Being asked what we were wearing.

Revenge.

This week, journalist Connie Chung revealed her own sexual assault and the reasons why she didn’t report it. She writes in the Washington Post: “I don’t remember saying anything to him. I could not even look at him. I quickly dressed and drove home. At the time, I think I may have told one of my sisters. I certainly did not tell my parents. I did not report him to authorities. It never crossed my mind to protect other women… All I wanted to do was bury the incident in my mind and protect my family.”

Every week, it seems more women from all walks of life, across all demographics, come forward with harrowing stories of unreported sexual assault. We mourn the loss of our sense of safety, we grieve our inability to stop assaults from progressing once they started, and we look for our safe places to live honestly and feel good about the choices we make.

We work together for goodness in a world that can be harsh.

At Thistle Farms, we have witnessed the power of love in the lives of women survivors. Love heals. This why we believe that love is the most powerful force for change in the world. Follow us on your favorite social media and join in the conversations we’re having. Support a friend who is triggered by these last few months of truth telling. Be gentle with yourself. Light a candle, and believe that we’re stronger together.