You Are Not Tainted

By Alexandria Erwin
Blog Content Contributor

“I am tainted, I am impure, I am devalued.”

Although many victims of sexual assault who come forward are congratulated for their bravery for sharing, many of these victims experience almost a sort of exile by the rest of society because of their traumatic experience. Believe it or not, many of those who suffer from this kind of trauma are discredited, and when they come forward, instead of directing disgust toward the horrific person who inflicted this act, many automatically put blame on the victim. “Well, maybe she was asking for it.”

It is 2018, people. You want to know why so many women are finally coming out about their assaults? Because of the domino effect. Not because any of these people want attention, but because once one woman comes forward, another will also, out of feeling slightly less alone in their experience. This is sad, but this is the reality of sexual assault. It is our job as a society to hear and support these victims, not discredit them and treat them as less human because of what they’ve been through. It’s understandable that the words “sexual assault” and “rape” make many people uncomfortable, but why is that? Maybe because it’s something that none of us want to experience. Nobody wants to be assaulted.

Kiley Robbins speaks on her sexual assault via Instagram. Photo courtesy of Kiley Robbins.

“To hear that anyone in this messed up world thinks that I am less of a woman because a piece of crap excuse of a man decided to target me, and rape me, feels like I am being assaulted all over again.” –Kiley Robbins

To anyone who has survived their attacks: You are strong, you are not alone and this will not break you. You are not broken. You are not tainted. And to the women who do come forward, you are brave and your words will be a part of history. Because of you, victims will know they are not alone and if they ever do decide to come forward they will know that they have an army of brave people surrounding them making sure they never have to question their self worth again. Keep pushing forward, your voice is important. We need to keep talking about the things that make us uncomfortable to break the cycle.

Featured image via Flickr.