Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape has to get people talking about things they'd rather ignore.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Sadly, when it comes to sexual violence, there is no image of what a sexual abuse victim looks like. Unlike domestic violence where the bruises and scars are obvious and convey an immediate picture of hurt and need, the wounds of a sexual-abuse victim are internal and commonly cloaked in blame, guilt, shame and secrecy. Moreover, from a public perspective, sexual violence is an issue that is mired in broad misconceptions and misunderstanding leading to two typical reactions: ignore the situation (the public cannot “go there”), especially when it comes to children; or blame the victim. This is especially true when the victim is an adult.