Have you ever heard the phrase, "Wrong place, wrong time?" Forty years ago crime victims, especially sexual assault victims, were viewed as passive targets. There were a lot of societal views that placed responsibility and shame on crime victims. This weekend, I watched three episodes of a documentary on HBO, I'll Be Gone In The Dark. This documentary chronicles the East Area Rapist in the seventies and eighties, later identified as the Golden State Killer, and is based on a true crime book by Michelle McNamara. This documentary highlighted what was absent in crime fighting forty years ago: cooperation, inclusiveness, equality, compassion, and understanding of victimization. I'm a crime story buff; however, I was specifically drawn to the interviews and experiences of the survivors. I listened to survivors share their pain, trauma, and secondary victimization. Secondary victimization refers to "victim-blaming" and behaviors that members of society engage i
I am a nationally recognized Crime Victim Advocate. My Mission: To inspire social change through education, awareness, resources, and support. We are all survivors. Follow me on social media. Twitter and Instagram @victimassistant