Unbreakable In The Face Of Sexual Violence
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Their voice was taken. But now they are taking it back. (Project Unbreakable, Creative Commons)
Yet for all the people who have suffered this reality, the fear of speaking out persists.
Should I tell anyone? Will they believe me? Will they care?
These questions arise and cause anxiety.
However lately, there have been new methods emergung to confront this reality, to gain back some of the power that was taken away.
Project Unbreakable is an online photography project on Tumblr that increases awareness of the issues surrounding sexual assault and encourages “the act of healing through art.” The founder of this project is 22-year-old Grace Brown, who began taking pictures of sexual assault survivors with posters quoting their attackers in October 2011.
As of today, the site has featured more than 2,000 images of survivors.
These individuals have chosen to be seen publicly as survivors. Some show their faces and other don’t. Regardless, they are still choosing to stand up. As I scrolled through the pictures of these resilient people, I was proud of them. The strength it takes to do this is impressive and awe-inspiring.
It made me think about my own experience.
When I was younger I was sexually assaulted. It was from people I knew and was supposed to be able to trust. It’s been too long, so I don’t remember what they said to me. It happened when I was about 7 or 8, again when I was about 11 and again when I was about 12 or 13.
In school, I was viewed as an object by some of the boys in my class. I even had a chance to report them in 8th grade. The security guard caught a few of the boys touching me and asked me if I needed help. The guard took the boys to the office so that they could talk to the principal.
However I remember feeling guilty for getting them caught. It was my fault. So I went to the office and told the secretaries that they were just playing and didn’t mean any harm. I was fine. So they ended up not getting in trouble.
It happened sporadically in 10th grade, but after that I was able to make them stop. I made it less fun for them. I raised my voice and I took back the power that they thought they had over me. Before they would start touching me and not stop, even when I told them too. But I never pushed them away and I always spoke with a fake smile on my face. Then I sarted pushing them away, not smiling and speaking with a firm voice. I would walk away from them and surround myself with my friends. They never liked that the boys did this to me.
I never told the administration about what the boys were doing. All I know is that this was one of the reasons why people thought I was a slut and a whore. The fact that the boys would crowd around me was unacceptable. I was a sexual toy. I remember one of my guy friends telling me I "looked" like a whore. I have no idea what this meant. However this was how I was viewed. It was wrong that I was the "smart, happy, sexy girl." The negativity stemmed from the assumptions people were making about me. Nothing bothered me or seemed to break me. Maybe people were angry that I was standing up for myself. But I don't really know for sure. I as just happy I was able to get out of that horrible situation.
So, when I saw this project on Tumblr, I was so proud of these courageous individuals. This is truly something important.
The beauty of "Project Unbreakable" is the fact that it both empowers and promotes awareness. You can see the people who have been affected, whether or not you see their face. They are survivors. Their voice was taken. But through this, they are taking back their voice and their power, and putting to rest their fear.
For anyone interested in submitting their own story, do so here.
Read more about Project Unbreakable on Buzzfeed.
