On the Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action, the Penn State Harrisburg Commission for Women was proud to cosponsor a speaking event on preventing sexual assault and violence with Angela Rose. Angela travels around the country to share her story and help to motivate others to make change that will result in better outcomes for people who survive sexual violence. When she was 17, she was abducted and raped. Upon reporting this violent crime to the police she experienced what many researchers refer to as the “second rape”—a virtual re-victimization by the systems in place to respond to these crimes.
Systematic re-victimization takes on many forms and is all too common. In many cases, the people responding to the person reporting violence don’t believe the person making the report. They may call into question activities, actions, whereabouts, and any perceived incongruences in the way the person shares his or her experience. Often times re-victimization is wrought with victim-blaming statements, like “why were you out so late” or “why would you where that.” These kinds of statements are totally unacceptable. All too often, we question the actions of the victim when the real question in our minds should be “how could someone make the choice to act violently against another person?”
Rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence are never the result of the victimized person’s actions or behaviors. We all have a responsibility to provide a validating response when someone chooses to share about their own experiences of violence. It is pretty incredible that out of such adversity, Angela Rose decided to dedicate her work to improving the system, making laws that protect others from violence, and educating communities like ours on the importance of good violence prevention and response. Thank you Angela for your work and your courage!
To learn more about Angela’s organization PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Empowering Victims), visit their website.
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