As many people are aware of, sexual assault has become a very serious topic. We have concerns for victims of sexual assault and their families. Most of us may know someone that has been through this type of abuse, or maybe you’ve been through it yourself.
Growing up as kid, I would have never thought in a million years something like this would happen to me or anyone I knew. You can never completely forget about something so traumatic. I grew to believe that I would eventually get stronger. That is exactly what happened. As a 13 year old girl, I was naive and was not taught about sexual assault in any way. Survivors tend to blame themselves for something they really had no control over.
I feel as if I could have handled my situation in a different way. . . I turned to self harm, multiple hospital visits, endless thoughts on committing suicide, and way too much counseling. In my opinion, rape is one of the most horrific things that could happen to a child – or anyone for that matter. It was someone I didn’t think would do something like that. I was taken advantage of. . . . I was mistaken. I truly believe there is a reason these things happen to us. My grandmother always taught me that God would not put you through something if He didn’t think you could handle it. Something I’ve learned after the assault is that it does not make you a weaker person for experiencing something so horrible. I looked at myself as trash, I would ask myself why I’d let someone violate me the way they did. There was a part of me who blamed myself. I made excuse after excuse to avoid confrontation. It’s almost 4 years later and I have learned to accept what happened to me. It may not be easy but I strive every day to make myself better. I could honestly say I am so much stronger than I was before.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, know that there are several hotlines and counseling groups available. Below are some resources listed for your convenience.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 800-273-8255

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National Sexual Assault Hotline – 1-800-656-4673
https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline