A Letter to Abuse Victims

Dear Victim Of Abuse, I am writing this letter to tell you that you deserve better. It isn’t your fault! No matter how hard you try to please an abuser, no matter how many times you try to do better, sooner or later more than likely they will abuse you again....

Emotional Abuse – What Is It?

What is Emotional Abuse? There is no universally accepted definition of emotional abuse. Like other forms of violence in relationships, emotional abuse is based on power and control. It follows a pattern; it is repeated and sustained. If you are passive about it, the...

Healing After Rape.

Through my experiences working with rape survivors here on HelpingTeens, my own experience has taken on new meaning. We all feel that, if we can just forget about what happened to us, we will be fine. Unfortunately, it is not like forgetting a bad date or a...

Men & Sexual Assault.

Like female survivors of sexual assault, male survivors experience fear, anger and an overwhelming sense of loss of control over their bodies and selves. The male survivor may also feel dirty, ashamed and/or guilty. He may be very embarrassed. Male-on-male sexual...

The “Date Rape” Time Lag.

How often have you heard the question, “If it was rape, why did she wait months to press charges?” Survivors of Date Rape often have a unique emotional timeline that is different from survivors of stranger rape, called the date rape time lag. It’s...