“Dad, there are things about my childhood I’d like to know.” “I don’t want to talk about it. It would only hurt your mother.” “But Dad, you’re the only one who can tell me.” “I don’t want to talk about it. It would only hurt your mother.” Secrets. Lies. Silences. Stories told by parents and their families to protect themselves. A father who defends his wife despite her damage to their daughter’s health and welfare. A mother, shielded by her husband, who perpetuates murderous acts of violence against the daughter, and keeps secret her husband’s sexual “play” with the young girl. And yet ... Nancy King, determined to learn the truth of her childhood and the heartbreaking effects it has had on her adult life, uncovers the secrets. Sees through the lies. Breaks the silence. Empowered by the stories she told herself as a child, she learns to use stories as part of her work as a university professor teaching theater, drama, world literature, and creative expression. Gradually, with the help of body work and therapy, she finds her voice. Says no to abuse and abusers. Reclaims her self and life. Writes a memoir. She climbs mountains. Weaves tapestries. Writes books. Makes friends. Creates a meaningful life. This is her story.

Laura Brandon's promise to her dying father was simple: to visit an elderly woman she'd never heard of before. A woman who remembers nothing—except the distant past. Visiting Sarah Tolley seemed a small enough sacrifice to make. But Laura's promise results in another death. Her husband's. And after their five-year-old daughter, Emma, witnesses her father's suicide, Emma refuses to talk about it…to talk at all. Frantic and guilt ridden, Laura contacts the only person who may be able to help. A man she's met only once—six years before. A man who doesn't know he's Emma's real father. Guided only by a child's silence and an old woman's fading memories, the two unravel a tale of love and despair, of bravery and unspeakable evil. A tale that's shrouded in silence…and that unbelievably links them all.

Cancer survivors, their family members, and their friends will find comfort in these inspirational stories told by black cancer patients. Covering every facet of the disease as it affects a person's life, including diagnosis, treatment, family involvement, spiritual strength, and healing, these stories, poems, journal entries, and letters address such complex issues as coping with the shock of the initial diagnosis, deciding among various forms of treatments, and dealing with conflicting emotions of anger, sadness, and hope. Helping to heal the mind, body, and spirit, these courageous and thoughtful reflections seek to lighten the burden that all cancer survivors and those who care for them must bear. Celebrated poet and cancer survivor Nikki Giovanni contributes a moving introduction to these inspirational pieces.

In 2009, college sophomore and track star Monika Kørra was grabbed by three men on her way home from a party and brutally raped. Within hours of being released, Monika resolved that she would not be a victim – she was going to be a survivor. Monika had traveled from her home in Norway to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, determined to acclimate to life in the States and excited for the opportunity of a full scholarship to do what she loved. As an athlete and Olympic hopeful, Monika already knew how to train against extreme fatigue, soreness, and distraction. She was used to overcoming adversity, using obstacles like stepping stones to achieve her goals. Persistence and patience had always been her greatest tools. She would now have to use these same qualities to regain her self-identity and find a “new normal”. Stripped of her sense of security, she slowly rebuilds her life with the help of her friends, family, and her own unflappable spirit. Monika shares the inspiring combination of mental and physical work that gave her the strength to win her greatest fight yet: the court case against the three men who had attacked her. She testifies against them with confidence and a fierce determination that these men would never be able to hurt anyone else, securing a life sentence. Two of them received life, one with parole and one without parole for the worst of the three. A large percentage of sexual assaults – upwards of 80% for female college students, like Monika was – go unreported, and 15 of every 16 rapists go free. By sharing her story, Monika hopes to inspire others to come forward and tell their own stories without shame or fear. Kill the Silence is about one woman's journey to recover from trauma and a call to arms to break the stigma that surrounds violence against women.

A valuable resource for parents and children, this collection of first-hand accounts and expert advice offers help for prevention and healing from childhood sexual abuse.

Breaking the Silence is the true story of Latarsha Haughton, founder of Breaking the Silence...Healing the Pain, an organization formed to transform pain into purpose and raise awareness about various forms of abuse. Latarsha shares her story of the years of abuse she suffered at the hands of family members, the most traumatic abuse being suffered at the hands of her biological father. Latarsha shares how she was able to transform the pain of being sexually traumatized for years and becoming impregnated by one of her abusers, to discovering her purpose of creating a community where survivors of sexual trauma would be able to come together to learn self-love and forgiveness. Go with Latarsha as she takes you back to her dark days as a child to how she is now flourishing in life and business. Once she discovered her voice and broke her silence, she hasn't stopped sharing her story with the hope that it will free others to share theirs.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429467608, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. While the Nordic countries are listed at the top in most international rankings of gender equality and citizens’ feelings of security, studies on the prevalence of sexual victimisation present a different picture, suggesting that the very countries that have invested much in establishing gender equality actually see a high prevalence of sexual violence. This book sheds light on the phenomenon and construction of rape and other forms of sexual violence within the Nordic region, exploring the ways in which rape and sexual violence are dealt with through criminal law and considering governmental policies aimed at combatting it, with a special focus on legal regulations and developments. Thematically organised, it offers new research on perpetrators, victimhood, criminal justice and prevention. Multi-disciplinary in approach, it brings together the latest work from a range of scholars to offer insights into the situation in the five Nordic countries, asking how and why rape and other forms of sexual violence occur, whilst also addressing the timely issues of online sexual cultures, BDSM and the grey areas of sexual offences. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology, criminology and law with interests in gender and sexual violence.

Would you want to know? Child abuse is an abhorrent crime often going undetected for decades due to the age of the victims. The lasting legacy of such deeds can have an impact far beyond the initial contact and can devastate the lives of more than just the survivor. Would you want to know if the person you trust your child with has hurt other children? In Breaking the Chains of Silence, we follow the story of Marie as she struggles to cope with the aftermath of what happened to her. At the age of three, she suffered sexual abuse while in day care. However, the perpetrator was never charged. Since then, she has fought a decades-long battle to heal and uncover the truth. Marie is presently arguing against the statute of limitations which has protected the perpetrator. Does it matter to you how many years ago a coach, a day care owner's husband, a church member, or anyone else abused a child? Would you still want to know? Follow her touching journey as she continues to seek the justice she needs to be able to move on from the abuse inflicted on her and protect other children in the community she lives in and beyond. It is a book which will shock you, make you mad, and ultimately have you cheering her on to victory.

Mariette Hartley's Polaroid commercials with James Garner and her Emmy Award-winning television performances have made her one of America's favorite stars. But hidden behind her high good humor was a family legacy of abuse, suicide, and alcoholism that nearly destroyed her. Growing up the privileged granddaughter of pioneering psychologist John B. Watson, who preached that children should never be kissed, hugged, or even touched, Mariette went from days of martinis, tweeds, and roses in suburban Connecticut to madcap nights in Hollywood, outwardly leading a charmed life. Inside, though, her family secrets and abusive husband were pushing her toward tragedy. Filled with wit, humanity and marvelous inside stories of Hollywood and television, Breaking the Silence is the story of Mariette's triumphant journey to hope, courage and a happy new life-a work as warm and engaging as the woman herself.

Recounts her life as one of five or six top call girls in Las Vegas who were part of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack inner circle. Once known as Baby Jane, this great grandmother who lives in Vadnais Heights hopes that her story will help younger women decide not to enter prostitution and explains "that getting out is way harder than getting in."