Consent is essential in all of our interactions, not just sexual activity. When it comes to sexual acts, the presence of consent is what differentiates sex from sexual assault. Before we become sexually active, we need to understand what consent is and what it looks like. Sexual acts without consent are not sex, they are…
The “perfect victim” is a common victim-blaming myth that has a negative effect on survivors. The perfect victim is an archetype outlining how a survivor “should” act during and after experiencing violence or abuse. These notions are often used to discredit, blame, and shame survivors who do not fit this narrow description, despite the fact…
What Do I Call Someone Who Has Experienced Sexual, Domestic, or Intimate Partner Violence? When referring to people who have experienced sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, it can be difficult to know what term to use. Different words have different connotations and implications, and all people have a different relationship with what…
Consensual sex can happen after using substances. So, why do we state that consent is sober? When we say that consent is sober, we mean free from significant cognitive impairment. We encourage people to have sex when they are sober rather than when they’re under the influence because we know people may say “Yes” to…
Sexual coercion is the act of using pressure, threats, alcohol or drugs, or force to engage in sexual activity with someone. This type of abuse can take form in many different ways. Contrary to popular belief, coercion is mostly verbal and emotional, not physical. The tactics the abuser uses can make someone feel pressure, guilt…
Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is a form of sexual abuse where the perpetrator creates and/or shares sexually explicit images, videos, or audio of a person without their consent. It includes both self-generated images, images that were taken by the person depicted in the photo and originally distributed by them with the understanding or expectation that…
“Rape Apologist” is an umbrella term for someone who for someone who blames survivors, has a general disbelief in allegations of assault, and participates in the normalization of sexual violence. They can be any person of any gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, or age. While the term make evoke an image of a particular group…
Intent doesn’t matter when it comes to sexual violence. Sexual violence isn’t always calculated It is a common misconception that sexual violence is calculated and that perpetrators are intending commit acts of violence. While this can be the case, perpetrators often, consciously or not, create an environment where their abuse will be tolerated, overlooked, or…
An incredibly common way to express one’s sexuality online is by exchanging nude, semi-nude, or suggestive images of oneself, sometimes referred to as sexting or sending nudes. Research suggests that nearly 88% of U.S. adults have sent nudes at some point in their lifetime.1 Sending, receiving, and viewing nude images is as much of a…
Understanding the concepts of good touch vs. bad touch is crucial for empowering children to establish boundaries and protect themselves from abuse. Good touch 1 refers to physical contact that feels safe, pleasant, and comfortable. Bad touch 1 is any type of touch that makes a child feel uneasy, confused, uncomfortable, or unsafe. Methods of…
Survivors don’t always get the responses they deserve when they disclose. This can be especially true for survivors who do not fit the stereotypical image of a sexual assault survivor, such as male survivors. Hear four courageous men share how people in their lives responded when they disclosed to them, and how they wish they’d…
Hear from male survivors on why they believe it’s so important to make space for boys and men in survivor spaces and the overall movement. The following answers are excerpts from our Male Survivors Panel. Yonah Kohn “How survivors heal from their experiences is going to be different, depending on so many factors. But before…
To quickly exit Survivors.org, click the
Click here to learn more about digital security when using Survivors.org
Click here to learn more about clearing your history on a specific device or browser
To quickly exit Survivors.org, click the
Click here to learn more about digital security when using Survivors.org
Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge: Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac)
Safari: Choose History > Clear History and Website Data
Click here to learn more about clearing your history on a specific device or browser
Community Guidelines
In Survivors.org Community Forums, we expect members to act in accordance with our community guidelines. Violating community guidelines may result in termination of your Survivors.org account. Forums are moderated by the Survivors.org team at our discretion. Moderation is done to protect all survivors using the forums, not to silence any survivor’s voice.
Community Guidelines are subject to change and will continue to evolve as our Community Forums grow. We encourage feedback and suggestions from all community members, with the understanding that Survivors.org is moderated by real human beings, often those who themselves are survivors.