When I was 6 I was sexually abused by my best friend
He was the same age as me, I thought it was a normal thing that first graders did. We always hung out and had sleepovers, and every time we did he always wanted to do something sexual. This went on for years, it wasn’t until I was 11 that I realized the things he was making me do were not normal things elementary schoolers do.
When I was 12, I was catcalled for the first time. My friend and I just got out of the candy shop and wanted to go talk to her mom (she worked in a jewelry store in the mall). As we cut through the food court, two older men (probably in their early 30s) began to catcall us. I remember how it struck fear into every bone in my body. They yelled sexual things at us and repeatedly told us to go over to them. When we told my friends mom that, she told us to take it as a compliment.
When I was 16, a 20 year old began talking to me. He always showered me in compliments, he made me feel so good when my self esteem was so so low. What was the casual flirting, he began to want to see me all the time. When I wasn’t texting him, he would get so mad. I never told him where I worked, but he knew I did. One day, he arrived to my place of work, looking for me. At this point of time I told him I wasn’t interested and repeatedly asked him to leave me alone. I was so scared, that I wouldn’t come off of my break to go back to work. Luckily, my manager told him to leave it she would call the cops. That scared him away from me.
This is just some of the things I have gone through and had to cope with. I am 17 years old, and have experienced more harassment than listed above. I’m tired of “taking it as a compliment”, women shouldn’t have to go through this. Women shouldn’t be preyed upon, women shouldn’t be treated like animals. And maybe, if we all stand together then maybe we’ll make a difference
