What Were You Wearing Campaign: Stories About Survivors of ... - IUP
Sexual violence is a sensitive and serious topic. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, help is available. You can contact the [National Sexual Assault Hotline](rainn.org assault-hotline) at 800-656-HOPE or visit for confidential support and resources.
: Because the victim may wake up mid-assault or only pieces together evidence after the fact, they may blame themselves or doubt their own memory, contributing to why these crimes remain highly underreported. 2. The Medical Phenomenon: Sexsomnia rape in sleep
Comprehensive testing by certified sleep specialists.
: Substance use increases the risk of non-consensual encounters during sleep by deepening unconsciousness. Believe Survivors What Were You Wearing Campaign: Stories About Survivors of
At its core, "rape in sleep" refers to any non-consensual sexual act performed on an individual who is unconscious due to sleep. Under the legal frameworks of most Western nations (including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia), consent must be . A sleeping person cannot consent by any legal or ethical definition.
When survivors began naming their experiences in their own voices—sharing the mundane horror of a workplace comment, the freeze response during an assault, or the career suicide of speaking out—the algorithm of public consciousness changed. The campaign didn't tell people what to think; it allowed them to feel the pervasiveness of the problem. You can contact the [National Sexual Assault Hotline](rainn
Sources for this article: ResearchGate - Blaming rape on sleep , MedlinePlus - Sexual Assault , Rape Crisis England & Wales Sexual Assault - MedlinePlus
Keep it first-person. Avoid rewriting in the organization’s “voice.”
was the most common parasomnia cited in forensic referrals, but legal communities often remain skeptical of defendants claiming this diagnosis for repeated crimes. Sleep and Sex: What Can Go Wrong? : A foundational review of clinical cases involving sexual behaviors during sleep