I was groomed and taken advantage of often from the age of 15-17 by men who were 18-28. Sometimes I don’t know if it’s wrong that I think about all the times I “consented” not being real because I was too young to consent. Sad that I wouldn’t hesitate to tell other women that their feelings are valid, but I gaslight myself.
top of page
.png)
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
bottom of page
No, that's exactly what it was. It is incredibly painful to acknowledge that you were coerced and violated in that way, especially so young. Trying to put those feelings away by minimizing it is a short term fix for your brain to forget the pain- but it will never bring healing. It's alright to grieve for yourself.
I feel similarly. I can remember as young as 9 or 10 when men were lusting after me and I didn’t know what was going on. “Dating” a man when I was 16/17 and he was late twenties also seems like rape now. I have similar feelings towards the situation where I was early 20s and he was mid/late 30s. Whenever a man my age now mentions dating a woman 10 years younger I let him know that 10 years from now they will be looking at the situation and being creeped out, and thinking of him as somewhat creepy. It inflates their ego and they don’t want to accept it but it wakes them up just a bit to reality and How predatory and disgusting they are…
You were raped. Period.
We need to reach out to young women and inform them. It’s why Girl Scouts is so maligned. Educating and lifting young women keeps them out of these traps. Also, start calling things out, be direct! Warn young women whenever you safely get a chance.