Readings
Below are listed some readings that are suggested to find stories that may be similar to yours or that explain some of the problems that people face in diverse communities.
Books
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel van der Kolk
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is one of the worlds foremost experts on trauma. Throughout this reading, he discusses how trauma reshapes the body and the brain. Furthermore, he discusses how this compromises the survivors' capacities to experience pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He also suggests treatments that can be applied in everyday activities to heal.
Know My Name - Chanel Miller
Chanel Miller is a survivor of sexual assault. Her assailant, Brock Turner, was sentenced to 6 months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on the campus of Stanford. This memoir recounts her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power. She speaks of the struggles she faced in the time following as well as the way that culture is biased to protect perpetrators. Her story entails pain, resilience, and humor and can act as a strong starting point of healing and bravery for many survivors.
Written on the Body - Jeanette Winterson
Throughout this novel, Winterson chronicles the consuming affair between the narrator, who is portrayed as genderless, and the beloved, a complex and confused married woman. This book is written by and for the trans and non-binary survivors of sexual assault.
Start Where You Are - Meera Lee Patel
This is an interactive journal that aims to help survivors nurture their creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. Along with helping with the difficulty of navigating the confusion and chaos of daily life, it offers a simple reminder that we must keep getting to know ourselves and our dreams while appreciating the world around us. This could help to move forward in your mental health journey and getting past trauma symptoms.
Additional Readings
"The Epistemology of the Closet" - Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
Although this reading does not relate directly to sexual assault, it does bring to light one of key issues of bias that society has when regarding LGBTQ+ individuals. This is a key issue that affects the way that many individuals live their lives and professional careers. It is important to understand this knowledge to know what these individuals have to face and how they can better be supported.
"The Problem That Has No Name" - Betty Friedan
This relates to the issues that many women have faced throughout time. These are still very applicable to current day treatment of women and ongoing gender bias. As many victims of sexual assault are women, this helps to unfold some of the societal propagations of male dominance which can be related to be a partial cause of rape culture.
"Becoming Trans*" - Jack Halberstam
This reading outlines some of the issue that trans* people face throughout life. Discrimination and bias against trans* people is very common and serious issue that needs to be lessened in today's society. This readings helps to bring to light these issues so that these individuals may work towards a more accepting life in society. Many LGBTQ+ individuals are robbed of their justice in many sexual assault cases. In first understanding the discrimination, more true and honest justice may be possible.