Stories

This is my story… I was young probably 6 I believe I really don’t remember. I was in my brother’s room my mom was in her room sleep and her brother was in the room with me I remember the tv was on it happened fast or maybe I have blocked that part out because the next thing I knew it was blood everywhere and he was taking my underwear out to the dumpster. I tried telling my mom and I don’t know if she didn’t want to believe what I just told her or what but she didn’t so I went and told somebody else she believed me and she told my mom I guess my my mom believed her because the next thing I knew I was at my grandmother’s house and we went to this place and I talked to them about what happened to me.

TW: This powerful testimonial was sent to us anonymously through our Start by Believing page. The injustices she faced will make your blood boil, but the courage and strength she has shown to overcome her past is absolutely incredible. She details her story from the childhood sexual abuse she endured by her older cousin, to being raped in high school by her then-boyfriend, to being raped in college multiple times by a serial stalker/rapist. These traumas — along with the re-victimization from not being believed and unserved justice — led to a suicide attempt. After the stalker/rapist’s death (before she was able to testify to his crimes in court, thanks to an arrest after her teacher believed her) she slowly began to find hope. When looking back, she says that because of what she faced, she has been able to: – Raise $20,000 when she was 16 to save orphans from human trafficking. – Travel the US raising awareness about human trafficking. – Volunteer at a battered women’s shelter. – Intern at two children’s abuse advocacy centers. At the end of the year, she’ll graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and plans to continue on to get her Master’s degree in counseling. “She refuses to […]

TW: This powerful testimonial was sent to us by its creator, Natasha, about the effects that childhood sexual abuse by family members had on her – which started when she was in Pampers – and the effects of not being believed. She bravely details her journey from how she attempted to process the abuse as a child too young to understand what was happening, to her family turning their back on her when she revealed the abuse. Her newfound purpose is to share her story to help other people so they don’t kill or hurt themselves. Click here to share your story of being believed or not believed. Click here to learn more about our Start by Believing San Antonio campaign.

I was 8 until I was 16 and was sexually and physically assaulted by my father I told people no one believed me and he still walks free …I got out on my own and still suffer from things that happened to me during my childhood I will take a stand and believe in others and what they are going through Click here to share your story of being believed or not believed. Click here to learn more about our Start by Believing San Antonio campaign.

Believing me, and that I wasn’t at fault, was too much for my mother. Friends and counselors who believed me, and believed I did nothing to cause it, saved my life. #StartByBelieving Click here to share your experience of being believed or not believed. Click here to learn more about our Start by Believing San Antonio campaign.

When I was assaulted I wanted to tell the police. Because I was a male and fit I was told it if I hadn’t fought back the it was possible I could be arrested for sodomy because the person who assaulted me was a male. It took me years and still as I start to seek help I run into programs still labeled Women’s Services, with a small caption down the page that says “we serve men too.”  I was told today by a rape crisis center that they didn’t have support groups for men other than batterers intervention programs. They invited me to a trauma class and said there was usually one or two males that attended. One man in a room full of women that statistically had been traumatized by women.  I have had the experience of showing up at women’s services programs and having the police called “because I was a suspicious man on the property.” All I am now is suspicious of any organization’s desire to serve and protect me. Click here to share your story of being believed or not. Click here to learn more about our Start by Believing San Antonio campaign.