Young Women and Sexual Assault

The number of young women who are sexually assaulted in the United States is staggering. You can link to some of the statistical information at the end of this article.

However, I want to emphasize that girls and women who are sexually assaulted are not numbers or statistics. They are fellow human beings. Each girl and woman who has been attacked has a name. They have a life. They have a family. They have friends. They have hopes and dreams. Sexual assault can steal those hopes and dreams.

I have taught many women who were victims of sexual assault and have seen the pain in their eyes and in their voices as they shared what happened to them. I’ve also seen some relief from that pain as they learned how to defend themselves so that no one would ever do that to them again.

That’s why we teach self defense. It gives girls and women some of what was stolen from them. It returns to them a sense of confidence and renewed purpose.

As you look through these staggering statistics about the problem of sexual assault in our country, remember that every number is a real person. They may be your neighbor, your classmate, your friend, someone who attends your church, maybe even someone in your family.