From Here to Healing: a call to ‘move forward’ after the Steubenville rape trial

On Sunday March 17th, Judge Thomas Lipps handed down the maximum sentence to the two teenage boys who raped an unconscious 16-year-old girl in August and hopefully the knowledge that justice can be served will empower survivors across the country to come forward.  But for local survivors who have had to listen to mainstream media outlets lamenting the ruin of the ‘promising’ lives of the convicted rapists, it’s clear that there needs to be a cultural shift in the way we think, talk about and treat the crime sexual violence.

Adam Robinson, ZCenter’s Assistant Executive Director, explains that “when sexual assaults become public, the way in which they are discussed by the public and the media has a significant impact on survivors of other sexual violence crimes.  When the public discourse about these crimes includes statements—as they have in this instance—such as, ‘She brought it on herself by flirting’ or ‘She shouldn’t have gotten so drunk’, then the implication is that the survivor is at fault for the crime committed by other(s).  This culture of victim-blaming impacts our community in three important areas.  First, in this culture it makes the prospect of choosing to disclose abuse a more risky and difficult choice for survivors to make.  Second, it contributes to a false sense that these crimes are over reported, thus setting people up to doubt or ignore disclosures when they are made.  Third, this culture of victim-blaming allows perpetrators to gain additional power and room to manipulate, threaten, and coerce their victims.”

Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center in Gurnee is gearing up for its first-ever From Here to Healing 5K Fun Run/Walk.  The run is an opportunity to spread awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence, support survivors and work to break the silence around the crime.  The event is April 28th at Independence Grove  in Libertyville and serves as a wonderful opportunity to get your kids, co-workers and friends engaged in meaningful, important conversations while enjoying a day outside in a beautiful park at the same time.

Despite the sensationalism of the headlines, what happened in Steubenville and the victim-blaming responses to the guilty verdict are not the exceptions; they are, unfortunately, the norm.  Victims of sexual assault continuously have to battle cultural and institutional barriers to justice and healing.  It’s time that our community comes together and declares that we do not accept sexual assault and rape as unavoidable hazards of living in the world.  It’s time to start creating awareness and support survivors.  It’s time to move from Here to Healing.  Please join us in our journey.