April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, this topic is very important to me. And since one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18 (according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), this issue should […]
#Me Too: In response to the Harvey Weinstein Situation
The second-floor room was not only packed, it was also stuffy despite the droning efforts of a small I-think-I-can-I-think-I-can window air-conditioner. Knowing anything can happen at a public open-mic event—dreadful poems about cats or pizza, 5,000 words delivered in a monotone—I considered the exit. Beside me, a writer pal rested her hand on my thigh. […]
Understanding Sexual Abuse: “Why Didn’t You Tell Someone?” and Other Questions NOT to Ask
“Why Didn’t You Tell Someone?” Yeah…no. Don’t ever ask that question of a sexual abuse survivor. From experience, I can honestly say that question will cause the victim to feel more like they’re being blamed than supported. It’s as if you’re saying, “You messed up,” rather than, “I’m here for you.” So what should you say […]
How to Have the “Birds and Bees Talk” with Your Kid(s)
I never had “The Talk” with my parents. You know, the often awkward conversation about how tiny human beings are created. Instead, one morning as I made my bed, I spied something poking out from between the mattress and box springs—an illustrated manual of male and female anatomy with brief, scientific explanations regarding certain body […]
