Sex violence survivors
speak out at Puvungna
Sara Esquivel
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Feminist Organization Reclaiming Consciousness and Equality (F.O.R.C.E.) and
the Women’s Resources Center at Cal State Long
Beach organized a bonfire-speak out to encourage sexual assault victims and
survivors to speak out at the Puvungna burial grounds Wednesday.
According to Megan Harris, a senior in the women’s studies department
and F.O.R.C.E. member, the idea to initiate the walk followed by the bonfire
started in 1977 with Take Back the Night, an event about women being afraid
of walking alone at night.
“It is not easy to tell your story. Most victims are afraid of the negative
reaction they might get,” said Vanessa Jimenez, chairwoman for F.O.R.C.E.
She said the purpose of this event was to encourage sexual assault victims
and/or survivors to speak out.
“Victims are afraid to come out because of the stigma that is placed on
them and are tired of being victimized.” said Marissa Sarria, a counselor
for Sexual Assault Crisis Agency (SACA), a non-profit and community-based organization. “Speaking
out is an empowering struggle; it is motivating and a progressive movement.”
The SACA booklet reports that child sexual abuse, molestation and incest happen
to one in three girls and one in seven boys before the age of 18 and the process
of healing is one of the scariest and most empowering decisions to make.
“It is not easy to speak out. It is less of a choice. It is more of a safety
issue. The process of coming out is being re-victimized,” Harris said.
For some F.O.R.C.E members, the process of healing begins by speaking out.
“ It is really amazing for women to come together to speak about violence.
This is a step towards healing,” Harris said.
Aside from encouraging women to speak out, F.O.R.C.E.wants to increase conscious
awareness among the entire student body at CSULB. According to Harris, whenever
sexual assault survivors speak out, it increases awareness.
For several sexual assault survivors who spoke out at the bonfire, they have
become part of this vicious violent cycle; a type of violence passed on from
generation to generation.
“It is sad to see that such act is being passed on through generations,” Jimenez
said.
The feelings among the sexual assault victims who attended the bonfire ranged
from not wanting to feel abused anymore to feeling out of control. Several
of the victims and survivors felt this event helped them cope with very strong
feelings about their experience and gave them the valor to speak out.
Some of the victims shared they were sexually assaulted by someone in their
family, therefore, the process of healing has been even tougher because they
had to deal with telling their family.
“It is not easy to tell your family that you were sexually assaulted or
to ask, ‘Why did you molest me?’ When it is family you have to think
about them being on your side,” Jimenez said.
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