Search Results for: rape victims
How Chessy Prout Stood Up For Herself and All Victims of Rape
A 17-year-old girl named Chessy Prout is a teenage superhero. Two years ago, when she was a freshman in high school, Chessy accepted a date with a senior, an 18-year-old athlete named Owen Labrie, who was headed to Harvard in the fall. Both Labrie and Chessy Prout were students at the prestigious New England boarding…
Helping Teens Change Rape Culture
Thanks to the presidential election, the news lately has been full of women’s stories of unwanted sexual attention from men. In response, Canadian writer Kelly Oxford amassed thousands of voluntary accounts of women’s first experiences with assault and harassment. Most took place when the women were minors, and involved trusted coaches, hairdressers, neighbors and caregivers;…
Lessons from the St. Paul’s Rape Trial
The St Paul’s high school rape case verdict came in last Friday – and most headlines trumpet that 18-year-old accused rapist Owen Labrie got off easy, acquitted of the three most serious charges, including felony rape. But there are many good lessons from this trial, worth applauding, and myths that we need to debunk as…
Let’s Change The Way We Talk About Rape
I hate using the word rape. When I think of rape, I think of a woman being viciously attacked and forced upon. That's not my story. My story is much different. It happened when I was twenty, freshly transplanted from Canada to the Bay Area. Lonely and eager for friends, I found a welcoming group that loved…
What We Need to Tell Our Daughters (And Sons) About the UVA Rape Story
It’s a natural parenting instinct: to shield your kids from the brutal details of sexual assault. But if you haven’t yet talked to your kids about rape, now is the perfect time. Here are some facts: 80% of rape victims are under age 30. 44% are under age 18. Roughly two-thirds of rape victims know…