First of all, I’m sorry if my English isn’t fluent, I’m Dutch.
I have never been raped or anything that comes close to that.
I just watched Brave Miss World this afternoon and it really touched me and I just felt like I had to show my respect to all the women in the movie.
I’m 19 years old, and I’m in my 3rd year of college to become a social worker. In my internships, I’ve spoken a lot with people with PTSD as a result of sexual abuse. Of course, I could never understand what they felt but I could see how they struggled with their pain. A lot of the girls/women I’ve spoken with where cutting themselves, to punish themselve or to release the pain that’s inside.
To all of those who cut themselves I would like to say; the person who did this to you, is not worth it for you to harm yourself like that. I know it’s easy for me to say ’cause I’ve never been in your position but please believe me, he is not worth it.
To finish with, I would like to thank all those strong women in the documentary, especially Linor for being such a good example. I wish you all the best, and I have a deeply respect for what you guys are doing.
Thank you so very much for offering your support to survivors of sexual violence. The work you will do as a social worker is beyond important and extremely commendable. Your message is a prime example that you need not be a survivor to empathize with one. Unfortunately, the self-harming behaviors that survivors often deal with is less about the perpetrator and more about their own feelings of shame, guilt, and self-loathing. Much of this, I believe, stems from the culture of silence that keeps so many survivors from speaking up about what happened to them. Brave Miss World has, and will continue to, change this narrative. Allies like you will also help make this change. Thank you for your kind words of support and all you do to help survivors suffering through self-harm and PTSD.