Ready to Make Him Pay
Names have been changed. Even at 8, I knew what was going on wasn’t right. But only later did I understand that I was a victim of sexual abuse by my stepfather. And now, at 17, I want him in prison. My biological dad died on my first birthday, so I never knew him. I […]
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Taking My Life Back From My Abusers
Names have been changed. When I was 9, I moved to New York to be with my parents and sisters. Like many immigrants from Central America, I took a two-month journey north across Mexico and crossed the border illegally into the United States. My aunt started the trip with me, but she missed her family […]
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Bringing My Attacker to Justice
Names have been changed. During my sophomore year in high school I downloaded an app for making friends in my area. Whenever I met someone, I told them right away that I was 15. When I first connected with Tom, he told me he was “around my age,” but I found out later he was […]
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Claiming the Life I Deserve
For years, so many people abused me that I started to feel like I deserved it. But part of me stayed clear that I was made for a better life, and I kept telling the truth. Finally I found people who took me seriously and helped me escape and heal. I grew up in Jamaica, […]
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