NEW YORK, NY–On Monday, October 19th, Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest victim service organization serving 250,000 individuals and families annually, launched a video public service announcement in Times Square featuring survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and intimate partner violence, in support of Cornell University’s Jane Doe, marking two years since she reported that she was raped. The campaign is designed to address the question survivors hear all the time – “why did it take you so long to come forward?” The #Trauma Takes Time PSA challenges misconceptions about trauma, reminding the public that there is no single timeline for processing or sharing the trauma of violence, and the time someone takes to disclose should never affect a survivor’s credibility or right to seek justice and healing.
“The truth is, for so many of us, Jane Doe’s story feels familiar. Painfully familiar. I think about the people who read that story and, maybe for the very first time, found themselves thinking: Wait. That happened to me. What I want all survivors to know is that it does not matter if it happened two days ago, two years ago, or twenty years ago. There is no expiration date on speaking up — or seeking support. That’s why we are launching the Trauma Takes Times PSA today in Times Square. Healing is always an option and we are here for you,” said Liz Roberts, Safe Horizon CEO.
For many sexual assault survivors, the trauma of what happened to them takes time to process, sometimes years, or even decades. Jane Doe waited because at the time of her assault, she didn’t realize that what she experienced was in fact rape. Being drugged and assaulted by seven men, she initially felt shock, confusion, and numbness about what happened to her; feelings commonly felt by sexual assault survivors. She also felt blame, shame, self-doubt and concerns about her reputation in the days immediately following the assault as she endured insults such as “whore” before it was reported as rape. Oftentimes, survivors may not fully acknowledge what has happened to them or even downplay the experience to get through the intense emotional impact of it, which Jane Doe grappled with.
The fact is what Jane Doe experienced is rape. And a result of this case and her coming forward, thousands of women now realize what also happened to them was rape. In her coming forward, she has been scrutinized, experienced victim-blaming, shaming, disbelief, and even received death threats; another reason why survivors may take time to report because of the backlash they might endure. It is also why advocates and survivors fight tirelessly for legislation that acknowledges trauma takes time, similar to the New York State laws, the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) and Child Victims Act (CVA), which temporarily eliminated the statute of limitations for reporting, helping survivors receive justice when they come forward in their own time.
“I was 15, he was 33; I stayed silent for 16 years. When I did speak publicly, it was not for myself, but because I wanted to make sports safer for future athletes. For a variety of very real reasons, it takes survivors of sexual crimes time to publicly disclose. I’m grateful to Safe Horizon for literally putting it on the big screen that Trauma Takes Time,” said Bridie Farrell, Survivor, and Director of Victim’s Rights, Advocacy, and Legislation at Weitz and Luxenberg.
“Survivors in New York need better protections than they’re currently getting. We need to close the Voluntary Intoxication Loophole to ensure survivors can report their experiences if they choose to without the fear of being dismissed for willing having a glass of wine before they’re abused,” said Finley Muratova, Educator and Survivor Advocate.
“We have to move beyond ‘protect your daughters’ and ‘teach your sons.’ Sexual violence goes deeper than how we raise our children. It is a systemic issue and a public health crisis, and it is time we treated it that way,” said Leana Pardo, Executive Director, North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence.
Additional survivor speakers included:
- Ana Wagner, Survivor and Advocate
- Asher Lovy, Survivor and Advocate, and Director, ZA’AKAH (featured in PSA)
- Maya McHenry, Founder, PR Giant, Survivor, and Safe Horizon Ambassador (featured in PSA)
The #Trauma Takes Time PSA serves to educate and raise awareness from the survivor perspective, making their brave voices heard and reassuring survivors that they are not alone. Safe Horizon is here to support sexual assault and violence survivors and help them obtain resources for healing through our 24-hour hotline, 1-800-621-HOPE, and website at safehorizon.org.