A Safe Place in the Survivor’s Network
Elevating Voices of Sexual Assault Survivors, Advocates, and Allies
When a sexual assault survivor begins her (or his/their) healing journey, she is often both comforted and horrified to discover how many other survivors there are. The comfort comes from knowing she is not alone. The horror stems from realizing how common sexual assault is.
Attorney Karen Barth Menzies represents survivors of sexual assault and meets survivors at various stages of their healing journeys. Sometimes, Karen can help survivors pursue legal action against their predator – but often a lawsuit is not possible, or the survivor chooses not to pursue litigation. When that happens, Karen says there are other ways for survivors to stand up for themselves, make their voices heard, and fight for change. She calls this “advocacy beyond litigation.”
There are many advocates for sexual assault survivors. There are counselors such as Kristina Sarhadi who founded The Punk Rock Therapist to provide counseling for survivors. There are leaders such as Nomi Abadi who founded The Alliance for Women Film Composers, in part, to make the music industry safer for women. There are voices such as Kendra Sheetz and Rich Gill who record the influential “enough.” podcast to shed light on sexual assault in the music industry. Some advocates provide financial counseling for survivors facing economic hardship, while others help survivors battle addiction.
Countless allies around the world are supporting survivors of sexual assault by recognizing that all voices in society play an important role to bring healing to survivors. As Judith Herman put it so well: “Most importantly, the psychological meaning is that the larger community vindicates the survivor, and this restores the survivor’s sense of trust and belonging in their communities.”
Together, these survivors, advocates, and allies constitute an informal grassroots “survivor’s network,” helping others learn that they are not alone, they have a voice, and they have support as they progress along their healing journeys. And that the conversation needs to continue. Karen Barth Menzies founded Unsilenced Survivors to be part of that grassroots survivor’s network. It is a safe place where survivors can listen to the experiences of others, learn from professionals who work with survivors – and even lend their voice to the conversation if they choose.
As a lawyer, Karen primarily represents survivors of sexual assault in the music and entertainment industry – though not exclusively. Susan Kryhoski suffered serial abuse from a doctor at a prominent New York City hospital, and now she is an advocate for children survivors, working to educate parents about how to recognize predatory behavior. All of the survivors, advocates, and allies who speak out on Unsilenced Survivors are have stories that may resonate with anyone who suffered a power imbalance, in any industry or institution, that led to sexual assault.
Sexual predators everywhere exploit the fear and shame they foster to compel survivors to remain silent. Predators rely on this silence to retain their power. The journey from silence to empowerment is a profound transformation for survivors of sexual assault. Initiatives like Unsilenced Survivors, spearheaded by Karen Barth Menzies, play an instrumental role in this process. When a survivor uses her voice and becomes unsilenced, she reclaims her power.