Will YOU be a Voice?

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness month

 I encourage you to make yourself more aware on the subject and join in the fight against it. Here are some great places to get started: human-trafficking  Human Trafficking Love146

However, Human Trafficking is actually not the issue I am going to address, but a similar one - Sexual Abuse. Over the next few months I will be doing several posts on the topic. It is difficult to talk about. It is uncomfortable to talk about. But in the protection of the innocent and the healing of victims - talk about it we must. The victims need voices who will speak for them. 

Understand the Facts

Not to just spout out statistics, but I think they can help bring an understanding of the severity of the subject.

Every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S.

By their 18th birthday 1 out of 5 boys and 1 out of 3 girls will have been sexually assaulted.

Ponder that for a few minutes. Think about your 6 closest guy friends and 4 closest girl friends. Statistically out of each group, one of your friends has/will be sexually assaulted. What are you going to do about it?

There is sometimes confusion and disagreement as to what actually classifies as sexual assault, but I think this is an accurate definition. Sexual assault is "any type of sexual behavior or contact where consent is not freely given or obtained and is accomplised through force, intimidation, violence, coercion, manipulation, threat, or abuse of authority." - Rid of My Disgrace

"Imagine if every ADULT who has

ever been molested as a child

recognized they were not alone

Imagine if every ADULT who has ever

been molested as a child let go of a 

shame that was never theirs to carry.

Imagine if every ADULT who has ever 

been molested as a child found their voice.

Imagine if every ADULT who had ever been molested as a child

joined hands and told their story.

Our country needs us to speak the truth,

because we have a nation of adults 

doubting if their is really a problem or 

that there eve is an epidemic.

This journey of honesty is not only to help heal ourselves but to protect this

generation of children and the next generation

and the next.

Sexual abuse...can be stopped.

It needs a voice.

Our voice." 

-Randa Fox

 The stories need to be told. You may not have experienced sexual abuse; but you can be a voice for those who have.

If you are interested in educating yourself more on the subject, I would highly recommend reading Rid of My Disgrace. If you or someone you know have/has experienced sexual abuse in the past and are struggling with it, I would especially encourage you to read it