University HS students react to these essays
If I had a friend who had been raped, I would tell her not to feel sad and that she can trust me. And I would hear everything without making a joke out of it. —Hilda Linares, 15 Dear girl who got raped, You probably don’t like to talk about how you got raped, but […]
If I had a friend who had been raped, I would tell her not to feel sad and that she can trust me. And I would hear everything without making a joke out of it.
—Hilda Linares, 15
Dear girl who got raped,
You probably don’t like to talk about how you got raped, but sometimes it’s good when you talk to someone you trust like a best friend or a family member. I have a friend that got raped. The first person he told was me. I think he told me because he trusted me a lot. It was not easy for him, but he did it. Tell someone—it can make you feel better. Don’t be ashamed. It can happen to anyone.
—Tony Lopez, 16
Dear girl who got raped,
The only way to get over this is to get help, and tell someone about it and how you feel. You should not think that everything is lost for you. If you tell your story to other girls, you may help them and you will definitely help yourself. Let everything out. If you just leave it inside, it will make you feel bad, and you will think that everyone is just like the one who raped you, and that is not true.
–Dalila Mendez, 17
Let them know that they are not the only ones who have gone through this ordeal, and sadly, won’t be the last.
—Cesar Gonzalez, 18
What I would say to someone who has gone through rape is to not feel bad, many teens have gone through it too. They are not alone.
—Vanessa Roque
If my friend was raped, I would try to find support groups and listen to her. I would take her to counseling and she’ll see that she’s not alone, she’s not the only one who has been through this. —Alejandra Zamora, 14
Dear girl who got raped,
I don’t know what to say to you because my friends and I have never been in that situation. I am a freshman in high school. All I can say is relax and get help from someone in your family or friends. Your life is not ruined. As long as you’re still alive and standing, you may get over it. If you hide your feelings, it’s just going to hurt you more than ever.
—Kylan Westby, 14
Dear girl that was raped,
I know that you must feel bad about what happened to you. That’s not a real good experience. After that, you must not even want to go near another guy in your life. But we’re not all the same. Some of us respect what you say and what you think. You should try to forget about it and I’m sorry about what happened to you. —George Cazares, 15
Dear girl who was raped,
If you don’t know what to do, you need to go to a community health center for a check-up. Tell the police right away. Don’t even think of suicide. Don’t be afraid to tell someone, maybe your best friend. I know they can help somehow.
—Kristopher Conechado, 15
Dear girl who was raped,
I’m not sure there is anything I could tell you to help you. But I think it was a good thing that you told somebody so you don’t have to live with that secret for your whole life. If you had never told anyone, that person may have done it to someone else. I hope that this won’t happen again to you or anybody else.
—Edwin Martinez, 15