"I've been sexually abused and if anyone knew, they'd blame me or say I asked for it somehow."
How it sounds in your head: What happened to you was your fault somehow - wrong clothes, wrong place, wrong signals. If you tell, people will ask what YOU did to cause it. They'll say you're lying for attention. They'll wonder why you didn't fight harder or tell sooner. Silence is safer than being blamed for your own abuse.
"The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."
-- Psalm 34:18Trauma + victim-blaming culture + enemy accusation + religious purity culture that makes victims feel dirty + silence around sexual abuse.
She's heard stories of girls who told and weren't believed, or were asked 'what were you wearing' or 'why were you alone with him.' The fear of being blamed feels worse than the pain of staying silent.
Tamar was raped by her half-brother Amnon in a premeditated assault, then blamed and told to 'be quiet' by her brother Absalom and ignored by her father David. Though human systems failed her, God recorded her story with HER name and dignity intact while Amnon is remembered only for his violence - God's record vindicates the victim.
I REFUSE the lie that what happened to me was my fault or that telling the truth will bring more harm. IT IS WRITTEN that the Lord is NEAR to the brokenhearted - He doesn't interrogate victims, He runs to them. I was sinned against; I am not the sinner in this story. IT IS WRITTEN that God defends the fatherless and the widow and loves the foreigner - He defends the vulnerable, and that includes me. My silence protects my abuser, not me. The BARAK blessing of protection is mine, and God will bring this darkness into light for my healing and others' safety. I am believed, loved, and NOT to blame. The Father's heart burns with justice for me.
The Father's first response to your abuse isn't 'what did you do wrong' - it's rage at the person who hurt you and tender compassion for you. He's preparing safe people to believe you, fight for you, and walk with you toward healing, and He's already working justice even in the waiting.