Rape isn’t a new problem. Everyone in the world knows about someone in their family, a friend, or neighbor that has been affected by an incident of sexual assault. Acts like rape ruin lives, and it has to stop. When we think about rape victims, many people don’t quite understand that everything stops and nothing is ever the same for them. Victims of rape are at the highest rate for alcohol and substance abuse, where addiction and self-isolation—that delicately toes the line for suicide—takes hold of their world and makes them a prisoner to the unsafe place that is now their home.
The Brock Turner Case Issue
The case of the State vs. Brock Turner isn’t a case we can think of where justice has been served, but where the justice system has fallen short once again. For those victims of rape, thoughts about what it felt like are refreshed with this injustice. For men and women, young teens and children all over the world that have experienced something like this, we know there is nothing that can be done to reverse what’s happened in the past.
No life sentence can change the way you feel when someone invades your personal space, the difficulty you have when trying to engage in romantic activity with your partner, or how you feel about yourself throughout your lifetime. What justice does, is bring awareness to the issue.
Building awareness about rape and the problems that come flooding into the lives of the victims is what needs to happen now. The issues that come up about people of color and white privilege come to the surface. To stop rape from occurring as well as the snowball of social, mental and physical health problems that ensue from it, we must teach our children to care for one another and to know what’s right from wrong. We can’t allow people to think it’s okay or that it’s something minor and that a person should be more careful because this isn’t the issue. We cannot ask victims if they egged someone on or if they are sure they didn’t allow it to happen. Think before you put someone down and discount their struggle with rape. It’s never okay.
We at Visions Adolescent Treatment Center understand that every voice must be heard, and therapy is essential to rebuild, in some capacity, a safe and comforting space. Therapy helps victims understand why they react the way they do from physical touch and anything sensory.
We encourage our clients to speak out and inspire others to do so as well. When we come together and bring awareness to the world, the chances for rape to occur and for victims to isolate is reduced. When we say it’s not okay, that’s when we can lift the veil and help people deal with their broken worlds.
If you or a loved one suffers from addiction and struggles with sexual assault, call Visions Adolescent Treatment Center today at (818) 889-3665.
