I’ve blocked out a lot of my childhood, but I have flashbacks of abuse and neglect. I can remember witnessing domestic violence, being kicked and strangled, and being molested by one of my five brothers. Both of my parents had troubled childhoods themselves—my father was in and out of the foster care system, and my […]

April Hernandez-Castillo, Actress, Motivational Speaker, TV host and SAG Nominee. She’s also a survivor of teen dating violence. Hernandez-Castillo was 16 when she started dating her abuser. “He was amazing at first. I didn’t see any signs. Then slowly but surely things started happening. I noticed he was a loner, and I started becoming isolated from […]

Seema Jalan, Contributor Executive Director, Universal Access Project By 23, Amanda Banura of Uganda has overcome more than many people do in a lifetime. At a young age, Amanda was raped by her father’s friend. “The first time, I didn’t know [what was happening],” she said. “This guy came and found me sleeping. He just […]