All the while, more survivors — including, and especially, those who have never shared their stories — will be watching and listening. If they see and hear victims blamed, trivialized or ridiculed, they may never say what happened to them. And the cycle of abuse will continue.
After all, disclosing — particularly speaking out for the first time — requires bravery.
I was a 17-year-old intern when a senior male executive propositioned me with a wink and a hotel room key. I fled from him, burning with embarrassment and fear, and didn’t speak of it for a very long time.
The (at least) 11 women at the center of Cuomo’s investigation called his actions toward them deeply humiliating, uncomfortable, offensive and inappropriate. We know firsthand from many survivors that it is challenging to find the courage to articulate what they experienced. Thus, the very act of disclosure empowers a survivor to reclaim the narrative.
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