By Yvonne E Mwende
“In the end we remember, not the words of our enemies but the silence of our allies,” Martin Luther King
Most victims of sexual assault do not report cases of abuse until many years have elapsed. And in more than a few instances the silence is broken by some parental instincts — the fear that what happened to them might happen to their child/ren. Unfortunately, silence is more so the norm, not the exception which has nothing to do with the victims veracity.
There are a myriad of reasons as to why survivors keep mum and don’t disclose the assault right away, if at all: fear of retaliation, fear of not being believed, fear of being blamed, fear of it happening to someone else if they tell, guilt, shame, fear of something worse happening, fear of the offender, fear of getting in trouble, self-blame, denial, avoidance (If I don’t tell, maybe it will just go away and I won’t have to deal with it), lack of a support system, fear of law enforcement or media getting involved, threats, bribes and manipulation used by the perpetrator to keep the survivor silent. The list can go on and on.
The most worrying and catastrophic of the silences, is the silence of allies — parents who fold themselves in silence when their child is raped by someone they trust. The neighbor who witnesses the constant beating of a wife, but feels it is not in their place to intervene, it is after all a family matter. The young woman who complains to school authorities of a deviant lecturer keen on transmitting grades in exchange for sex. The Home that exploits and abuses children they are meant to protect, but then no one cares. Such things though despicable happen. The indifference of allies.
When we blame the victims. Her dress was too short. What was she doing out at such an hour? She willingly went to his house. She probably enjoyed it. At least he was paying for her tuition. Why is she the only one? She is not even that pretty. She was drunk, she probably asked for it. No one asks or deserves to be raped or sexually assaulted — regardless of what they were wearing, where they were, who they were with or how much they had to drink. Victim blaming reinforces the culture of silence, further protecting the perpetrator.
As a society, we are uncomfortable with talking about rape, sexual abuse and/or even body safety, and ill-informed about the realities of sexual assault. This lack of dialogue in our communities about sexual assault and body safety gives credence to sexual violence to continue to permeate our social fabric. When we are afraid to hear a disclosure of sexual assault, if our most common response is to blame the victim, if we are reluctant to help or support sexual assault survivors, if we are uncomfortable talking about body safety — we are giving away our power to offenders and allowing sexual violence to escalate further. When a survivor is inclined to believe that they might be believed and supported, they are much more likely to come forward and disclose sexual assault, thus breaking the norm of silence. We need to fear our silence, and silence our fear, if we want to consciously protect survivors of sexual violence.
It’s time for every woman to be heard and protected. Let’s reach out in solidarity by supporting I Am My Bodyguard impart skills to women to ensure their body safety. Indifference amounts to complicity!
dhnJiePE
lQhVDqsjnf
FqtukyiCGIMWRZK
Your expertise is truly exceptional.
I really like the way you write and present the issues. This is definitely one of the best blogs I’ve ever read. Mb66.rocks : https://mb66.rocks/
Website Tool Black Screen is a diagnostic utility designed to address and resolve website issues displaying a black screen. It assists developers in identifying bugs, troubleshooting errors, and improving site performance by offering detailed analysis and insights into the root causes of the black screen problem.Website : https://blackscreen.space/
WzUwKPqsdHNeJ
Post Cycle Therapy 101 An effective post cycle therapy includes the following 1 cialis no prescription
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
https://cmqpharma.com/# buying prescription drugs in mexico online
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
п»їbest mexican online pharmacies: cmqpharma.com – mexican drugstore online
Your insights on this topic are spot on. Couldn’t agree more.
Nha cai Vin777, mot trong nhung dia chi ca cuoc truc tuyen uy tin va chat luong hang dau tai Viet Nam. Voi giao dien truc quan, doi ngu CSKH chuyen nghiep, chinh sach bao mat an toan va cac tro choi da dang hap dan https://vin777-vn.com/
Your wisdom enriches my life.
mexico pharmacy mexico pharmacies prescription drugs purple pharmacy mexico price list
https://foruspharma.com/# mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs
india pharmacy: Online medicine home delivery – Online medicine order
canadian pharmacy: best canadian pharmacy to order from – buy canadian drugs
world pharmacy india: india pharmacy – indian pharmacy paypal
canadian neighbor pharmacy reputable canadian pharmacy canadian pharmacy king
mexican drugstore online: mexican rx online – mexican rx online
https://canadapharmast.com/# canada rx pharmacy
buying from online mexican pharmacy: buying from online mexican pharmacy – best online pharmacies in mexico
Your post offers valuable and practical insights that are highly beneficial. 12Bet
indianpharmacy com india pharmacy mail order buy medicines online in india
canadian pharmacy mall: canadianpharmacyworld com – canadian online pharmacy
buy medicines online in india: reputable indian pharmacies – top 10 online pharmacy in india
http://indiapharmast.com/# Online medicine home delivery
purple pharmacy mexico price list: buying prescription drugs in mexico online – buying prescription drugs in mexico online
mexico drug stores pharmacies mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs purple pharmacy mexico price list
online canadian pharmacy: canadian pharmacy 365 – buying from canadian pharmacies
buying drugs from canada: legal canadian pharmacy online – pet meds without vet prescription canada
cheapest online pharmacy india: online shopping pharmacy india – п»їlegitimate online pharmacies india
п»їpaxlovid: paxlovid covid – Paxlovid over the counter
http://ciprodelivery.pro/# buy ciprofloxacin
https://ciprodelivery.pro/# buy cipro online
amoxicillin 500 mg capsule: amoxicillin generic – amoxicillin buy canada
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid india
Tai 8KBET, ban se duoc trai nghiem hang loat dich vu dinh cao cung mot kho tro choi phong phu nhu the thao, da ga, game bai, va casino, tat ca deu voi ty le doi thuong hap dan den kinh ngac. https://8kbet-vn.com/
Mot trong nhung nen tang ca cuoc the thao va song bac truc tuyen hang dau va dang tin cay nhat Chau A. BetVisa cung cap nhieu lua chon tro choi slot, song bac truc tiep, xo so, ca cuoc the thao, trao doi the thao va the thao dien tu https://betvisa-vn.org/
buy doxycycline india: doxycycline 75 mg cost – doxycycline 150 mg price
https://clomiddelivery.pro/# clomid prices
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# doxycycline 100mg tablets no prescription
cost of amoxicillin: amoxicillin 500 mg capsule – purchase amoxicillin online without prescription
https://amoxildelivery.pro/# amoxicillin buy canada
http://ciprodelivery.pro/# ciprofloxacin 500mg buy online
ciprofloxacin generic: buy cipro online canada – cipro pharmacy
https://ciprodelivery.pro/# buy cipro online canada
cipro 500mg best prices: buy cipro cheap – buy cipro cheap
http://ciprodelivery.pro/# cipro ciprofloxacin
ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablet price: ciprofloxacin 500mg buy online – buy cipro cheap
gNAYipMdDfUmFacH