Violence Prevention
In March of 2020, near the beginning of COVID-19, an interesting dilemma emerged in the world of sexual violence prevention. As a collective society, we processed the initial pandemic. Daily and normal activities shut down. As a sexual assault prevention speaker and survivor though, one unique consideration regarding the pandemic involved how to carry on […]
Why I Didn’t Fight Back: A Survivor’s Perspective
By: Brittany Piper “Why can’t you remember? Your story doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t you fight back? Weren’t you drinking? What did you expect?” They’re words I never imagined hearing after being sexually assaulted. Police officers, family, and community members hinted the same: it was my fault. Perhaps you’ve asked others, maybe even yourself, these […]
After the Assault: The #MeFIRST Approach
By: Brittany Piper In 2009, at the age of 20, I was raped and beaten—nearly left for dead, by a stranger who helped me change my flat tire. Thanks to: an amazing roommate who (despite my hesitation) put me in her car and took me to the hospital, a sex crimes detective and attorney who […]
After the Assault: Self-Care for Recovery
By: Brittany Piper I still remember that concrete jail cell, the coldness of the ground, the bareness of the walls. I remember thinking—this isn’t supposed to be a part of my story. How did I end up here? In 2009, at the age of 20, I was brutally raped and beaten by a stranger who […]
Following #MeToo, a #MeFIRST Framework for 2018
In 2009, at the age of 20, I was raped and beaten—nearly left for dead, by a stranger who helped me change my flat tire. Thanks to: an amazing roommate who (despite my hesitation) put me in her car and took me to the hospital, a sex crimes detective and attorney who were determined to […]
Let’s Talk About Sex
I still remember the day my mom decided to give me “the talk.” During the prime of my 6th grade years, my school had decided to tell us all about the bird and the bees already and unbeknownst to me when my mom asked me to walk the dog; she was aware of their education […]
The need for conversations on masculinity.
For me, masculinity has always been an interesting concept. I grew up in a military family surrounded by what some might consider ideologies of “traditional” masculinity. My father was stoic and expected achievement. Our lives were heavily ordered, and he served as the primary breadwinner, while my mother was a source of emotional support and […]