Rose is executive director of PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment), an Alexandria-based nonprofit that works to raise awareness about sexual violence. She began speaking out about these issues after she was abducted and sexually assaulted as a teenager in Illinois.
How have your own experiences with sexual violence impacted your work?
I am still amazed at how many people will come up to me, especially on college campuses, where they don’t realize that what happened to them was sexual assault. The power in sharing your story — the reason I started PAVE — was because everyone had a story. After I was kidnapped, so many people had a story about sexual assault. To hear these constant stories, makes me realize that I’m on the right track. One of the messages is that there’s no shame in being a survivor.
What challenges do victims face?
Reporting can be very difficult. Sometimes even family members aren’t supportive. I just think that we need to create an environment where survivors are supported and their voices are celebrated. The more that you talk about it, the easier it is to heal. I was able to funnel my anger into activism.
Why is this topic so difficult to talk about?
It’s so difficult to talk about because we live in a victim-blaming society. The survivor of a crime is often accused and blamed in some way for it. When I was kidnapped from a shopping mall, I was asked in court what I was wearing … Are you ever going to hear a robbery victim asked why they were wearing an expensive suit?
How should someone respond if a friend discloses that he or she was sexually assaulted?
You always believe that person and assure them that it was not their fault. Provide them with local resources. Almost every community has a rape crisis center. And just be a good listener.
— Emily Babay
