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Talk To A Survivor

Talk To A Survivor

Written by: talktoasurvivor@gmail.com
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A survivor's perspective on sexual violence as part of a long cultural story. We examine the forces that increase the risk for violence and the forces that help protect against it.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Ep 2: The Architecture of Abuse

    Ep 2: The Architecture of Abuse
    May 7 2026
    This episode traces the architecture of sexual abuse — the legal and religious frameworks that governed girls' bodies from the ancient world through American history. Beginning in ancient Sumer, where the moral recognition of harm to children existed and was written down, the episode moves through Biblical law, Christian canon law, the witch trials, and Hindu child marriage practices — arguing that the erasure of harm to children was not accidental. It was architecture. Built deliberately, sanctioned by the most powerful institutions in the world, and handed forward. Content Warnings This episode contains detailed historical and legal discussion of sexual violence against children. This content is presented in an educational context. Resources for taking care while listening are listed below and on the Talk to a Survivor Substack. Prevention and Support Resources A note on how these resources are organized: Prevention work happens at three levels. Primary prevention stops violence before it happens by addressing root causes. Secondary prevention provides immediate crisis response right after violence occurs. Tertiary prevention supports long-term healing and recovery. Many organizations work across more than one level. These resources serve survivors, secondary survivors (the friends, family members, and loved ones of survivors), and anyone working to stop abuse before it starts. Before or right after sexual violence occurs (primary and secondary prevention): Stop It Now: 1-888-773-8368 or stopitnow.org — Confidential help for people concerned about their own or another person’s sexual interest in children. Darkness to Light: d2l.org — Practical tools for parents, teachers, coaches, and anyone who cares for children. Equips adults with knowledge and skills to prevent abuse or respond effectively to suspected abuse. Free trainings available in many communities. Right after to long after violence occurs (secondary and tertiary prevention): RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE or online.rainn.org — Crisis response for survivors and resources for those who care for them. End Violence Against Women International: startbybelieving.org 1in6 (for male survivors): 1in6.org The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth): thetrevorproject.org StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE DAWN (Deaf Abused Women’s Network): 202-559-5366 (video phone) National Disability Rights Network: ndrn.org NO MORE Global Directory (international): nomoredirectory.org Hot Peach Pages (global orgs in 115+ languages): hotpeachpages.net Hidden Water (restorative justice circles): hiddenwatercircle.org Mirror Memoirs (Black & Indigenous TGNC survivors): mirrormemoirs.org National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life: ncall.us Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative: justice.gov/elderjustice Episode Sources Episode Sources Primary analytical source Florence Rush, The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children (Prentice Hall, 1980) — Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 6, with endnotes providing primary source citations for all legal and historical claims. Chapter 2 (The Bible and the Talmud): Biblical property framework, Talmudic betrothal law, Maimonides, and the Rabbi Akiba folklore. Chapter 3 (The Christians): Canon law, the one flesh principle, confessional abuse, and the witch trials. Chapter 4 (Greek Love): The institutionalized sexual use of boys by adult men in ancient Greek society, including its legal sanction and cultural framing as mentorship and education. Chapter 6 (Child Marriage in India): Hindu sacred obligation, the Kama Sutra material, and Katherine Mayo's documentation. Available free to read at archive.org. Primary legal and religious texts Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Niddah and Tractate Kiddushin — Primary legal text establishing betrothal law for female children, including the three years and one day provision and its legal reasoning. Specific tractate and passage citations available in Florence Rush, The Best Kept Secret, Chapter 2 endnotes. Sources on Sumer and women's legal status Dr. Amanda Foreman, The Ascent of Woman (BBC documentary series, 2015), Episode 1: "Civilisation" — Source for Sumerian women's legal capacities. Available on Netflix. Note: no companion book exists for this series. Charles Halton and Saana Svärd, Women's Writing of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Anthology of the Earliest Female Authors (Cambridge University Press, 2018) — Scholarly source for Sumerian women's legal and social capacities. Sources on sexual exploitation in imperial China Robert van Gulik, Sexual Life in Ancient China: A Preliminary Survey of Chinese Sex and Society from ca. 1500 B.C. till 1644 A.D. (Brill, 1961; reprinted 2003) — The foundational scholarly survey of gender hierarchy and concubinage in imperial China, covering the legal status of ...
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    25 mins
  • Ep 1: Why Is It Like This?

    Ep 1: Why Is It Like This?
    Apr 20 2026

    In this introductory episode, host and survivor DeAnn Tilton asks the question that shaped her life and her work: Why is it like this? She traces her path from a childhood of confusion and harm, to a hospital that treated her but didn't protect her sisters, to a phone call to the police that ended with the words "statute of limitations." Along the way she began to find the answers — not personal ones, but historical, structural, and institutional ones. This podcast is the result of that search.

    Content note: This episode contains a personal account of the effects of childhood sexual abuse.

    Support Resources

    If you or someone you know needs support, the following organizations are here to help.

    National Crisis Support

    • RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) — National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | Text HOPE to 64673 | https://www.rainn.org
    • 1in6 — Support for men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences: https://1in6.org

    Community-Specific Support

    • The Trevor Project — Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth: 1-866-488-7386 | Text START to 678678 | https://www.thetrevorproject.org
    • StrongHearts Native Helpline — Culturally specific support for Native American and Alaska Native communities: 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) | https://www.strongheartshelpline.org
    • DAWN (Deaf Abused Women's Network) — Support for Deaf and DeafBlind survivors: Video phone 202-559-5366 | https://www.deafdawn.org
    • Mirror Memoirs — Healing circles for Black and Indigenous gender non-conforming adult survivors of child sexual abuse: https://mirrormemoirs.org
    • Hidden Water — Restorative justice healing circles for those impacted by child sexual abuse: https://hiddenwatercircle.org
    • National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL) — Resources addressing abuse against older adults: https://www.ncall.us
    • NO MORE Global Directory — Sexual assault and domestic violence resources in every UN-recognized country: https://nomore.org

    Prevention

    • Stop It Now! — Prevention resources and support for anyone concerned about sexual behavior toward children: 1-888-773-8368 | https://www.stopitnow.org
    • Darkness to Light — Prevention education and training for adults who protect children: https://www.d2l.org

    Find Local Resources

    • National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) — Directory to find your state sexual assault coalition: https://endsexualviolence.org

    About the Host

    DeAnn Tilton is the founder of the Talk to a Survivor nonprofit, she trained as a victim advocate (UCASA), and a Darkness to Light facilitator. She holds a BS in psychology and MS in human development and social policy. DeAnn has testified to help expand statutes of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

    Connect Email: talktoasurvivor@gmail.com Substack: @talktoasurvivor
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    18 mins
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