Speaking Out: The Benefits for Survivors of Sexual Assault By Louise © Pandora’s Project 2009

traumatic experience within the confines of their personal lives. But a significant minority, as a result of the trauma, feel called upon to engage in a wider world. ” 1 I have been feeling that “call to engage in the wider world ” for two decades: I am 42 years old, and did my first media interview as a rape survivor when I was 23. As the coauthor of a book about intimate partner rape, I have spoken many times via print media, television, radio, and also to sexual assault and domestic violence organizations. Initially, I decided to speak out because I was sick of the social stigma that shamed survivors of rape. I grew impatient with waiting for society to change and make it safer for survivors to speak, and decided it was up to me to actively defy the stigma and speak anyway. For me, this was a way in which I could be part of the change I desired. I’d like to share a little of my experiences and thoughts about speaking out. Why speaking out about sexual assault is good socially Survivors of sexual assault who publicly speak out create change in the silence that surrounds this crime. Your act of speaking out can end the false sense of shame that survivors often carry. Seeing you cast off the shame may inspire them to do the same. In speaking out about partne