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I didn’t know it was sexual assault. How could a boyfriend who is supposed to care for me and love me inflict this harm? I thought rapists were pedophilic men in the dark, lurking to prey on young girls. Not the first boy who kissed me in the school staircase. But now I know: It doesn’t matter their relationship to you or what they may say their intentions are. The abuse continued for a few months and even after a reprieve from the summer vacation, my assailant attempted to engage with me sexually the following fall.
Traveling Alone as a Source of Empowerment for Me as a Sexual Violence Survivor
tarted by going to the dining hall at my college alone. None of my friends woke up early like me, but my hunger gave me the confidence I needed. Book in hand, I began to spend time alone as a way to honor my own happiness and challenge my fears. I’d go out to dinners, the movies, shopping—you name it. I find true freedom and joy in these moments. As I gained more confidence, my curiosity to experience new places around the world blossomed. But I knew if I didn’t go and achieve these goals on my own, I might never do it. I couldn’t wait for someone to hold my hand along the way.
When Social Media Becomes a Training Ground for Sexual Violence
As the Curriculum Chair for Survivors to Superheroes I think a lot about how adolescents are educated about consent and sexual violence. As a parent, I have dealt with situations of peer-on-peer violence against my children. The work I do, as well as my experiences as a parent, have made me more aware as a middle school teacher. One of the jobs I am tasked with is to stay abreast of any outside influences which may, potentially, affect my students. Recently, the Devious Licks TikTok Challenges crept into my middle school world and announced themselves with acts of vandalism in line with the September challenge of “mess up a toilet/vandalize the bathroom at school”.
Survivors to Superheroes stands in solidarity with Asian Americans and Asian Canadians against the most recent wave of anti-Asian racism. This racism is not new and, indeed, has a very long history in North America. Nonetheless, it has gained more visibility in the past week due to the tragic deaths of eight people in Atlanta, Georgia, in a terrible act of racist and sexist violence. Our hearts and thoughts are with the loved ones of Yong Ae Yue, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Daoyou Feng, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Paul Andre Michels.