My Sister Was Raped

The victim speaks about how much her life has changed since the incident. She speaks about "sleeping with the lights on", showing the fact that she is still scared a year and a half later. The "long and invasive" rape exams effected the victim not only mentally but also physically. The psychological damage inflicted on rape victims is long lasting. The victim uses words like

As Alice was going through major hell during the rape and even after the rape, it seemed as it was not taken seriously by others. Alice describes her pain, fears, and many problems that came along the way when it came for fighting for herself and the after effect of the rape. Being a rape victim was not easy, and Alice showed many signals that she needed more than just comfort, but sadly many of them failed to provide that for her.

Being raped affects the victims in a way no one can imagine, and seeing

She stares at herself with disgust, wishing her skin was a jacket. Rape not only destroys a person’s self-esteem, but it also shatters their entire life. According to the United States Justice Department, half of a million reports about rape and sexual assaults are being reported by women every year, giving the United States the title of having the highest rape rate. Even though 40% of rape crimes are being reported, only 7% go to trial and 1% gets a sentence. While the rapist is living in a guilt-free life, the survivor is living in a repetitive nightmare.

A violent rape in a tunnel to a virgin girl in baggy clothes, it is a nightmare, but sadly it did happen to Alice Sebold. She was violently raped and beaten. When she came back to her dorm in her college, it was obvious what had happened and she was suddenly seen as an outsider. People stared at her and she was no longer Alice, instead she was ‘the girl that had been raped.’ Her social life became dismal. She often needed to seek help from her family because of the emotional trauma that she had been put through. She ended up taking the man, Gregory Madison, into court and she won. But the emotional cost on Alice Sebold was heavy. A normal person in her situation would likely be at risk for having PTSD or a stress disorder, but interestingly Alice had very little symptoms of PTSD. She was very resilient and it was because of her willpower that she was able to convict her rapist.

I’m not a notable writer, nor have I really wanted to join the writing industry. However, I have been interested in other people’s writing. From their deep meanings, content, and different formats/styles. It’s a wondrous creation made from within our imagination and experiences. It has inspired me to write too. I’ve been writing most of my life that it has become a necessity. And now from my past experiences with writing, I try my best to improve my skills as a writer for the future.

This was not the first time I had heard about sexual assault, yet in some way it hit home more than anything else. My parents had talked to my sister and I more than once about how to be safe and what to do if we were raped. Yet it seemed so far away, I always thought it could not be me. Yet The Hunting Ground, made it all so more real, that it easily could be

Later that night, as I was falling asleep, I heard muffled voices outside of my bedroom door, and suddenly the door was kicked in by police officers. I jumped out of my bed and ran over to my oldest sister Christine. She held me and tried to shield me from what was happening. I glanced up from Christine’s chest and saw my Uncle in handcuffs and being frog marched out of our conjoining rooms. Then a female police officer walked over to us and in a soft, sweet voice she said “Everything will be alright,” then proceeded to guide us to the living room. We sat on the couch and the female officer turned the television on for us. Christine told me to try and get some sleep. I listened to her, and I didn’t wake up until the next morning.

One’s writing says a lot about that individual and their views on certain topics. At times, it is difficult to share one’s work of literature due to sensitivity to other’s reactions and comments. Ever since I began writing high ended essays, peer editing was my biggest fear. Personally, I had a difficult time sharing my writings. There were certain areas I lacked in and the peer editing only confirmed insecurities I had. All of this changed through writer’s circles.

More than one speaker at the event highlighted that their experiences with rape and sexual assault do not define them, their bodies, or their lives, highlighting the ability to transcend—while also accepting—bodily pain and suffering. The statement “I am not my experience” was spoken more than once, however, the women who repeated these words also

In the year twenty fourteen, I never knew in my life that it would be the beginning of a fall in my family. We never knew that a piece of us would be torn away so quickly. Out of all the things that had happened in my life. The most heartbreaking was the moment that my sisters pulse slowly started to decrease. At the time six ten am was the exact moment my heart broke into tiny pieces. I knew there wasn’t any other way to get her back, I knew that it was it. Before the

“It wasn’t rape you were being such a tease.” “NO I said. I covered my vagina with both of my hands and I said NO! I was with a close male friend and I thought I was safe. I thought I was safe when I went out drinking with said friend and I thought I was safe when we went to my place to “hangout.” This is an anonymous rape survivor’s story. These common occurrences affect a fair portion of the population in Missoula, in comparison to the national average, and something should be done. There is also a low number of people who are there to support and help the survivors of sexual assault.

Helen evidently has PTSD from the rape she experienced over twenty years ago. Since the topic of the trauma itself has been avoided most of her life, it has been easy for her to repress the memories which have been lying dormant in her unconscious mind. Revisiting the place of the rape triggered memories, emotions, and thoughts associated with the traumatic event which caused her to experience symptoms of PTSD. Her PTSD symptoms are a reaction to a situational variable demonstrated by her unconscious defenses as her memories came back into her conscious mind. Strean (2000)

Some might be outraged at the notion that rape is not to be considered a tragedy. It is, of course, a horrific act. One that inflicts so much damage that it can cause PTSD type triggers in survivors. Rape is a before/after moment, people who experience it begin to think of how life was before and now after the event. For instance, with the character Salima, her life before the incident included a loving family with her “good husband” (35) and

I want to write about my childhood, my experiences, and my problems so other people like me can know they're not alone and someone understands. Most of it will be fiction though, just slightly inspired by my life. I've considered writing an actual memoir (which i actually did in like... junior year? maybe. it was for class it was only 10 pages long which isn't a lot for an actual book though). I'm writing a book right now, very slowly. I'm afraid to share my work with others though because when i get criticism, even if it's constructive, I will cry (its a borderline thing). They'll think I'm weird. Also I'm scared they'll think I'm super bad at writing. I've been writing stories since 3rd grade, butt hat doesn't mean I'm amazing at it. I mean... I do write fan-fiction and post it online and most of it does pretty well. But it's easier to post my writing online because no one knows who I am. Also I live in Oklahoma aka the bible belt aka my novel is about lesbians and i don't know if my professor and classmates will be homophobic. Everything I write is about LGBT+ youth because (no offense though I know you've written about gay couples) I'm tired of reading about boy meets girl, you know? I want books about lesbians and I want those lesbians to be happy. So I guess I'll be the change I want to see,