ZU Magazine is a publication of ZU Media. Below is an article from Issue 4, “Character.”
Staff Writer: Heather McCarthy
“There is power in our unity and no opposing force stands a chance in the faith of true solidarity.”
When Madonna spoke these words, she stood at the podium of the 2017 Women’s March and called for people to stand with her against those that might hinder equality. Attendees listened with bated breath, each person with a different background and reason for marching.
The #MeToo social media movement, the Golden Globes #TimesUp demonstration and the second annual Women’s March have all brought the battle against sexual assault to the forefront of social conversation.
Trauma often happens in unpredictable and unpreventable ways, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks. It can also happen in more intimate settings by people we trust.
When life-altering situations occur, it can have a deep-rooted effect on the core of our being; changing our personalities, desires and tendencies. It can impact every aspect of a person’s life right after it happens, or it can lie dormant until triggered by something that serves as a reminder.
Not all victims will become perpetrators, but if the problem is not addressed, the cycle of violence may continue.
In “Victim and victimizer: the role of traumatic experiences as risk factors for sexually abusive behavior,” Author L.A. Rasmussen said, “Traumatic situations post-victimization trigger a progression of thoughts and feelings… which for some victims involves a dysfunctional response system.”
According to the Health Psychology Journal, exposure to traumatic events has been associated with increased risk for a range of negative physical health outcomes including chest pain, respiratory issues, anxiety, depression, difficulty in creating healthy relationships with others and self-blame.
However, trauma can also turn into indignation and bravery. The stories that have surfaced recently, such as the Larry Nassar trial and the Henry Weinstein accusations, are examples of people who have taken their trauma and transformed it into social justice.
Tracie Temple, a forensic psychologist who currently works at New Found Life, a rehabilitation center for drugs and alcohol in Long Beach, CA, addressed the consequences of sexual assault.
“It literally affects the rest of your life in every way possible,” Temple said. “It affects how you have a relationship — a healthy relationship.”
According to Temple, approximately 90 percent of people that attend New Found Life have some sort of trauma in their past. It can then become a cycle; when substances are abused to escape memories, more trauma can follow.
Those choosing to become sober are not the only ones garnering their strength to recover from their experiences.
Athletes including Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney came forward in the Larry Nassar trial to tell their testimonies, even though it risked destroying their careers.
“We, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing,” Raisman said in her testimony against Nassar, “We are here, we have our voices and we are not going anywhere.”
Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash
Each individual responds to traumatic events in a different way. However, with so many people acknowledging their trauma, bravery appears to be contagious. Appearing everywhere from celebrities’ social media to conversations on campuses like Azusa Pacific, people have started these difficult conversations.
Free the Captives is a club on campus focused on raising awareness of human trafficking. In doing so, the club hopes to better understand trauma and how survivors can rise above it.
“Trauma can cause the strongest people to become fragile in every way possible … however, trauma, when addressed, can also make a person stronger. I have seen victims of sexual assault and human trafficking exude a strength, a courage that has stemmed from a place of pure and utter brokenness,” member Vanessa Baldoz said.
Along with Free the Captives, the Office of Women’s Development and the University Counseling Center are resources for students to speak about their experiences.
“There’s no place in the world where issues like these do not occur,” Baldoz said. “Sexual assault happens here on our campus, and we, as followers of Christ and as a student body at APU, need to have more conversations about these issues and need to do something about it.”
Baldoz encouraged everyone to simply listen to those who venture to share their experiences. She isn’t the only one with encouragement for survivors or with support for those who voice their stories.
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who oversaw the Larry Nassar trials in January 2018, shared her wisdom for survivors.
“Leave your pain here and go out and do your magnificent things,” she said.