Believe, Support, and Understand Barriers for Sexual Violence Survivors
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. To understand the dynamics of sexual violence, it is important to highlight the barriers a survivor may face when deciding to come forward with their story. Every 73 seconds someone in America is sexually assaulted.1 Let the number sink in for a minute—every 73 seconds. As I sit here and write this statement, I find myself pausing and counting. 1 … 2 … 3 … What is even more disconcerting is that sexual assault is the most underreported crime. Some survivors come forward with their story, while many choose to stay silent. This is a personal decision that only the survivor can make; however, in our society, there are many barriers that may prevent a survivor from reporting their crime.
Some barriers that a survivor may face when deciding to report an incident of sexual violence may be:
fear of not being believed or victim blaming
internal feelings of shame and embarrassment
fear of retaliation or continued assaults
educational institutions mishandling sexual assault
overwhelmed by or distrust of the criminal justice system
Since the #metoo movement, many survivors have publicly come forward to share their experience with sexual violence with high-profile individuals being named as the perpetrators. The media coverage and public reaction demonstrate the barriers that survivors face and the deep-seeded old victim blaming mentality that plagues our society. Comments like “if it happened, why did she wait so long to come forward,” “what did she think would happen if she went to his hotel room,” “what’s her motivation,” and “how much did she drink” are prevalent and further reinforce how our society puts more emphasis on the survivor’s actions rather than the actions of the perpetrator who committed a sexual assault. Furthermore, RAINN, a national anti-sexual violence organization, estimates that only five perpetrators out of every 1,000 sexual assaults will be incarcerated. So even if a survivor elects to go the authorities, the chances of the perpetrator being incarcerated are slim. This begs the question, what do we, as a society, do to break down barriers for survivors?
First, we must start from a place of believing survivors. Always. Sexual assault is one of few crimes that a survivor can be told that the crime is their fault and/or that the crime did not happen at all. If we know that sexual assault is the most underreported crime and we want survivors to feel comfortable to come forward, we must begin from a place of believing them. It is by believing that we support survivors. In addition, we must advocate for stronger laws and punishments for perpetrators of sexual violence. We must be willing to take a stand against rape culture in our society. We must be willing to demand an end to victim blaming.
Victim blaming is damaging and outdated. It is encouraging to see that in the Harvey Weinstein case, a highly publicized case in the #metoo movement, prosecutors tried Harvey Weinstein despite complicated facts. In this trial, the prosecutor brought forth cases in which victims responded in a more typical manner than is often expected by the antiquated image of a victim that some may expect. For example, a few of Weinstein’s victims continued a relationship with him after the sexual assault and later engaged in consensual sex with Weinstein. Historically, facts like these have been harder for prosecutors to bring to court due to previously held biases judging victims, but what is more assuring is that a jury found Weinstein guilty of criminal sexual assault and rape in the third degree. The Weinstein case illustrates the cultural shift and the importance that these types of cases should be tried in the criminal justice system. Prosecutors are now expecting the community to understand the complexities of sexual assault, power and control dynamics, and the intricate relationship between perpetrator and survivor. After the Weinstein verdict, Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. said, “This is the new landscape for survivors of sexual assault in America. This is a new day.”
Finally, in order to support survivors, we must embrace the notion that survivors are the experts of their lives and know what they need to do in order to personally heal. Survivors do not need anyone telling them what to do and how they should proceed. We must remember there is no “one size fits all” for how survivors handle their experience. Service providers, like WomenSafe, support survivors and work to provide options, so survivors are clearly informed about their choices.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, please know that WomenSafe is here for you. Please call our 24/7 hotline at (802) 388-4205, email at info@womensafe.net, or message us on our social media. We believe you.
Jena Santa Maria
Outreach Advocate
(She/her)