After Silence

After Silence aims to support, empower, validate, and educate survivors of sexual violence by providing a safely moderated online support group, message board, and chat room. These spaces offer survivors the opportunity to connect with other survivors in real time. Survivors can share their stories, ask questions, and heal through support. The organization offers a library for survivors and supporters, providing information on types of sexual violence, legal information, and articles on recovery.

After Silence staff members can provide referrals to local assistance, and to agencies and organizations.

Website: After Silence

Survivor Support: Forums

Survivor Library: Aftermath

Sex after Sexual Violence

Provided below are a number of articles focused in on the topic of sex for a victim-survivor after their experience with sexual violence.

What It’s Like to Reclaim Your Sex Life After Sexual Assault

  • This article includes survivors’ stories about processing and mastering difficulties that have developed due to sexual violence.

How to Have a Healthy Sex Life After Sexual Abuse

  • This article addresses difficulties survivors of sexual violence can experience after their incident of abuse. The author includes important communication points for the survivor to include when they are ready to engage in sex again.

When Is It Sex, and When Is It Sexual Abuse or Assault?

  • This article focuses on deciphering Sexual abuse and assault from Sex. When an individual has experience sexual violence it can be difficulty to transition beliefs about sex back to a safe action. The author explores defining sex with consent and breaking down some pop culture influence on perspectives of sex.

FORGE

FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization. The organization provides direct services for transgender, gender non-binary survivors of sexual assault.

Resources for trans communities can be found here: Resources for Trans Communities

FORGE also offers a survivors’ listserv. Participation for the listserv is primarily comprised of transgender/gender non-conforming individuals and loved ones. The listserv offers an opportunity for individuals to share their stories, experiences, and resources for healing and recovering from sexual violence.

  • To subscribe, send mail to: majordomo@lists.forge-forward.org
  • In the body of the email type: subscribe sv-support

FORGE can provide referrals to a provider in your area, by contacting 414.559.2123 or emailing askFORGE@forge-forward.org.

End Rape of Campus

End Rape on Campus (EROC) is an organization that aims to end campus sexual violence. They offer direct support for survivors and the communities around them. They have established support networks through a hotline or a secure form.

The organization offers free assistance to all survivors of gender-/sex-based violence. The organization can connect survivors, family or friends to support networks, file federal complaints, connect survivors with mental health professionals or legal counsel.

The organization has created overviews of Title IX, the Clery Act, Affirmative consent, and much more. Overview of these acts can be found here: The Laws

Website: End Rape on Campus

Hotline: 202.281.0323

Secure Form: https://endrapeoncampus.org/contact-us/

RAINN

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is a nationwide anti-sexual violence organization that works to provide support for survivors of these crimes. The organization provides hotline as well as a live chat.

RAINN has a collection of survivor stories in videos and articles: Survivor Stories

Hotline: 800.656.HOPE or 800.656.4673

Live Chat: online.rainn.org

RAINN has provided materials for individuals who have experienced a form of sexual violence:

YWCA Kalamazoo

The YWCA Kalamazoo is a non profit organization whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women.


What We Stand For: After being founded in 1885, we serve as the oldest and largest association in Michigan. Originally established to provide residence services for young women, today YWCA Kalamazoo serves as a primary resource for economic, gender, and racial justice for all women, children and families in Kalamazoo.

What We Do: Advocacy & Systems Change, Caring for Victims of Abuse, Promoting Maternal & Child Health, and Improving the Lives of Children

Contact Us: For Information About Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, Child Care, Pregnancy Services, and More.

  • 24/7 Crisis Line & Shelter: 269.385.3587

If you would like to help, you can donate, become a Member, or volunteer.

Healing Honestly

Healing Honestly is a blog written by Alisa Zipursky, a childhood sexual abuse survivor. She offers survivor to survivor support through blog posts and videos posted to her YouTube page (provided below). She focuses on healing from her trauma, topics of activism, and pop culture.

Throughout her blog posts, she provides trigger warnings at the beginning, announcing the topics she or her interviewees include in the post. She includes stories from other survivors who show the effects of Gender-/Sex-based violence on individuals.

Alisa can be found on YouTube here: Alisa Zipursky

To find her blog page, click here: Healing Honestly

One Love

One Love is a foundation that aims to bring awareness to domestic and dating violence, and prevent this violence.

One Love provides several different 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year resources. They provide access and advice from a peer advocate for individuals who are experiencing unhealthy or abusive behaviors.

Text Message: A Peer Advocate can be reached by texting “loveis” to 1.866.331.9474.

Live chat: A peer advocate can be reached on Loveisrespect.org.

Voice call: Call 1.866.331.9474 to reach a peer advocate. They will first ask about your current safety, then provide information and support.

Further information on One Love can be found here: One Love

BEAM (The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)

The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, also know as BEAM, is an organization that aims to remove barriers for black people to gain access to emotional support services.

BEAM offers an online directory of Black virtual therapists. Virtual therapy can be conducted through email, video conferencing, phone or online chatting options. Each individual can choose which is more comfortable. You can find the directory here: Black Virtual Wellness Directory

BEAM also provides resources and videos focused on mental health and techniques to cope with anxiety, depression, and stress.

Resources can be found here: Resources

Videos can be found here: Virtual Trainings

@shewillspeak

She Will Speak is an organization that aims to empower women through education, awareness, and the arts to cultivate healing and change.

Website: She Will Speak Series

Facebook: She Will Speak Series

Instagram: @shewillspeakseries or @shewillspeak