Tammy’s Story
Survivors often begin to experience healing when they finally acknowledge the sexual abuse. Over time, some even reach the point when they can let go of the guilt and shame. These first bold steps often end up sparking hope. This inspirational story occurred at The Scarlet Cord exhibit:
While I was raising awareness for sex trafficking at The Scarlet Cord, a young woman I call Tammy asked for one of the scarlet cords that we gave away to exhibit visitors. As I tied a cord on Tammy’s wrist, she burst into tears. The sexual abuse, she said, had lasted for years during her childhood.
“The shame and the guilt of your sexual abuse,” I said, “belongs to your perpetrators. The individuals who committed the crimes against you. The shame and the guilt doesn’t belong to you.”
Tammy’s perpetrator, a teacher, had told her that she had invited the abuse by being seductive. “His accusations are part of the abuse,” I explained. “Children don’t solicit sexual abuse; children are the victims.”
A month later, one of Tammy’s friends emailed me to thank me for reaching out to her. The friend wrote, “Ever since that night when we met at The Scarlet Cord, Tammy has been feeling encouraged.”
Tammy’s first bold steps for healing gave her a sense of new beginnings.
Find out more about The Scarlet Cord exhibit.
Note: The name and some details have been changed to protect identities.
