Teen PCAR

- Disclaimer -

If you need immediate help, please call your local rape crisis center. In PA, the number is (888) 772-PCAR. Outside of PA, please contact the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at 1-800-656-HOPE.

If you’re on the long-term journey toward healing, there are many things you can do:

• get creative – Writing poetry, keeping a journal, painting, etc. are all therapeutic activities that allow you to express your emotions in healthy ways.

• volunteer – Donate time to your local rape crisis center. Many offer youth-oriented opportunities. Becoming an advocate for other victims can help you heal from your own assault.

• read about it – Knowledge is power. Read accounts by other victims of sexual assault. Books like Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” can offer insight and help you see that you’re not alone.

• submit your stuff – Write a letter to the editor of your community newspaper to raise awareness about sexual violence. Submit an article for your school newspaper on sexual violence. Write your legislators at the local, state and national levels. Urge them to commit additional resources to ensure that victims get the services they deserve.

• use your voice – Challenge crude jokes and sexist comments. Confront attitudes that blame sexual assault victims. Educate your family and friends about sexual violence. Help them understand that this is not just a "women's" issue – it's a human issue!

• get involved! – Organize a rally with a speaker and/or a band. Include an "open mic" so people can voice their opinions, read poetry, sing, etc. Your local rape crisis center can be an excellent resource for this!

Organize a Chalk Walk Day at your school (make sure you get the principal's permission!). Cover your school's sidewalk with messages and statistics that raise awareness of sexual violence and call for ending it.

• let us know – See something outrageous? Have a great idea that can encourage other teens to take a stand against sexual violence? Share your ideas with us at info@teenpcar.com. Then we can all take part in changing our culture for the better for generations to come!