6 Ways ‘Unbelievable’ Spreads Sexual Assault Awareness

Content warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as rape and sexual assault.

I’ve had friends open up about their sexual assault experiences. Each time I felt the pain and sadness behind their choked up words and teary eyes, but I could never actually visualize how they must feel on a daily basis. After watching Unbelievable, the Netflix original based on true events of rape victims, it was eye-opening to watch the events unfold.

Here’s how they told the story no one wants to hear. 

The victims have different ways of coping with their personal experience of rape. 

Marie Adler wanted to forget her experience with sexual assault, but they kept asking her for the story. Traumatized by every recount, she lied and said it didn’t happen. 

Three years after the first reported rape shows the prevalence of the crime. 

A huge misconception about rape is if it hasn’t happened to me, it won’t. Even years later, these women of all different backgrounds were raped by the same man. 

It’s not just sex that scares a victim, it’s normal activities they used to do before the rape.

One woman from the documentary said she couldn’t even garden. She couldn’t stop thinking of how the rapist picked her. 

 Just the simple question “what happened?” can trigger the time the rape happened. 

Marie Adler kept reliving the sexual assault in her mind over and over again. 

 Not every victim has a strong support system if there’s no concrete evidence. 

One of the victims had a boyfriend before the assault happened and he ended up leaving her in the middle of the investigation. There was a lack of evidence which therefore led to disbelief. 

They will never function the same. 

Sexual assault doesn’t just physically damage you, it mentally does as well. 

If Unbelievable shows us anything, it is to always think before you act. 

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7