The Mask U Live In
Posted by Carolyn at TVH on December 28, 2013
https://trivalleyhavenblogger.com/2013/12/28/the-mask-u-live-in/
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Why People Don’t Report Rape
Why People Don’t Report Rape
Recently, I have begun doing advocacy work for sexual assault survivors who are incarcerated. So far, all but one of the people I have seen have been men, African-American, from poor backgrounds and limited education. We have failed these men in so many ways–economically, in terms of race equality, in terms of the education system. All of those men have been struggling with a society that tells them that to be men, they must be aggressive, angry, strong and to defend their right to respect with physical violence. The toll on them is huge, as well as the toll to society. And all of them have a spark of beauty in them, in spite of what they have done, in spite of what they have been through. We owe it to our boys and our girls to create a world where these limiting ideas loosen their death-grip. I can see it in the eyes of the people I visit in jail. I can see it in the eyes of the women in our shelter.
I am not absolving people who are in jail of any personal responsibility. But the more I see (and I am new to this) the more I am reminded that who we ARE is so strongly influenced by where we are from, what messages we receive as children, and what support we do or do not have.
Posted by Carolyn at TVH on December 28, 2013
https://trivalleyhavenblogger.com/2013/12/28/the-mask-u-live-in/
painspeaks
/ December 28, 2013Reblogged this on The Daily Advocate By Painspeaks.