A speaker critiques how schools talk about sexual assault, arguing that focusing only on trauma leaves survivors feeling broken. He proposes adding one thing: "survivors are incredibly strong, courageous individuals." The shift changes what survivors hear about themselves.
What I learned in my journey, how strong survivors are. How many agree survivors have strength and courage? Why is that important to understand? Because that's the messaging normally left out of campus programs. So, what do you mean? Well, they have a program on sexual assault or consent, and somebody says something along these lines. You tell me if you've ever heard it before. Rape ruins lives. Have you heard a statement like that before? Yes or no? What every survivor in the room just— what were they just told? My life's ruined. Now imagine if every survivor in that same room had heard the following. Rape is a horrific crime. They cause us trauma, and survivors are incredibly strong, courageous individuals. Is that a very different messaging for the survivor in the room? Yes, especially if you have everyone in the room yell, are all survivors strong and courageous? And they yell, all! Now survivors get to hear the whole room tell them, oh, I'm strong, I'm courageous.
