Why We Don't Fight Back
Submitted by digimommy on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 4:01pm.
And this applies to sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence and other illegal activities in which females are primarily the victims.
Speaking from a certain level of experience...
We are revictimized by the process of reporting the issues because
1. People often don't believe us, and we are called liars as a result.
2. The people who commit the acts may be vengeful and this may put our life or our childrens lives at risk.
3. People don't want to help us. People have busy lives and our problems become a burden to them. The people and agencies where it is their job to help us are often helpful in terms of counselling and possible legal help, but at the end of the day they go home to their own families. Often times, our own families consider our problems, as serious as they are, either a burden or disgrace.
4. Sometimes we are in a state of shock or post traumatic stress and are mentally and emotionally incapable of addressing the issue. Victims who are able to obtain an advocate may be helped. So many of us due the concerns listed on lines 1, 2, and 3 don't come forward or speak until we feel safe, if we ever do speak about it.
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