Abuse - xoJane

It Happened To Me: I Put My Father In Jail (And Then Lied To Get Him Out)

R. Melissa Masoom — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

They blamed me for tearing the family apart by calling 911 that night in August.

Listening to Suzanne Vega: A Personal Timeline Of Abuse And Recovery

Lesley — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:00:00 -0400

This is a story about when music is survival.

My Abusive Marriage Not Only Destroyed Me, But My Finances Too

Leslie Morgan Steiner as told to Cheryl Lock of LearnVest — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:00:00 -0400

Everyone talks about the physical aspect of domestic abuse -- which is, of course, no small thing -- but there’s more to it. Conor left me not only physically battered, but nearly bankrupt.

On Abuse Within Kink (Or This One Time Some Really Bad Stuff Happened To Me)

Jessica Wakeman of The Frisky — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:30:00 -0400

Recently I went home with a kinky man after our first date. The experience phased in and out of being consensual throughout the night. I distinctly left his apartment feeling violated and I continued to feel violated for several days after.

It Happened To Me Contest Entry: My Dad Is A Pedophile And It's Ruining My Wedding

IHTM CONTESTANT — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0400

What had been a complicated father-daughter relationship became an impossible one.

What Do You Do When You See a Parent Borderline-Abusing A Child In Public?

Demetria L. Lucas — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0500

I feel awful. But feeling and doing something aren’t one in the same.

It Happened To Me Contest Entry: I Had An Emotional Affair And It Saved My Life

IHTM CONTESTANT — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:30:00 -0500

John taught me that not every guy was like my husband. It was the push I needed to really see that life could be normal again.

It Happened To Me Contest Entry: My Mother Abused My Father

IHTM CONTESTANT — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:30:00 -0500

What makes the situation doubly painful is that some people refuse to even acknowledge that domestic abuse exists “the other way around.”

It Happened To Me Contest Entry: I'm Addicted To Cutting

IHTM CONTESTANT — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:00:00 -0500

In the seven years of my off-and-on affair with cutting, I've crossed several lines I promised I wouldn't.

My Childhood Nosebleeds Came Back And I'm Taking It As A Sign To Change My Life

Senam SistaTV Amegashie — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:00:00 -0500

Although the circumstances are very different, I have been feeling exactly like that trapped little girl with blood on her spelling test and fear of the unknowns in her heart.

I've Been Going to Some Dark Sexual Places Lately in Fantasy -- And It's Bumming Me Out

Mandy — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:00:00 -0500

I'm so sick of my sex brain. I want a new one.

It Happened To Me: I Had An Abusive Boyfriend

Briein Roi — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:30:00 -0500

The majority of the abuse was emotional. Sometimes I was a fucking slut, sometimes I was a stupid bitch whore, sometimes my friends were fat, ugly cunty bitches.

The Border Patrol Is Out Of Control, Especially When It Comes to Women

s.e. smith — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:00:25 -0400

For women crossing the border, the threat of sexual assault including strip searches, unwanted physical contact, and rape is very real -- and they may fear reporting because of their undocumented status.

It Happened to Me: I Was Sexually Abused By A Doctor

Maria Mercedes Lara — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:00:23 -0400

Maria Menounos, who recently opened up about being sexually abused by two doctors, has faced criticism for not reporting the incidents to the authorities. Neither did I.

It Happened to Me: I Found Out My Boyfriend Was a Rapist

Min Lee — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:27 -0400

There had been a couple of things about him that had always seemed “off.” But nothing could have made me suspect that he spent his spare time raping women and helping himself to the contents of their purses.

Dear Media: There Are Plenty of Non-Sexy Stories About Disability That Need Covering

s.e. smith — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:00:26 -0400

The same people who suddenly care a whole lot about disability when it involves a reality television show are nowhere to be seen the rest of the time, and I can’t help but be just a teensy bit bitter about that.

It Happened To Me: I Was a Battered Wife

Sarah Saxon — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:00:11 -0400

At first he only threw things. That graduated to blocking my path out of the house and threatening to harm our pets. I wasn't a shining example of civility, either.