Victim-survivors are in every walk of life. They can be people of color, LGTBQ, devoutly religious, have disabilities, speak English as a second language, come from working class communities, or from intergenerational wealth. Sometimes identity makes it more challenging to report gender-based harassment and sexual misconduct.
Myths and stereotypes can magnify the sexual vulnerability of people who have experienced discrimination because they may have had experiences that make them less trusting of institutions that are designed to help survivors. Sometimes survivors fear that they are betraying their community by reporting, or that their experience will be used to support more stereotyping and discrimination. Dealing with prejudices and ‘isms’ is difficult at all times, but it is even more challenging when trying to recover from trauma.