Media is a powerful tool for shining a light on the experiences of survivors. From gripping documentaries to heartfelt memoirs, these stories foster empathy and awareness, making us more compassionate and informed.
Documentaries and Television:
- Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter
- Exploring the controversy surrounding allegations of sexual assault against Nick Carter and the personal battles faced by his brother Aaron, including mental health issues and substance abuse that led to his death in 2022.
- Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
- A five-part documentary television series that details some of the behind-the-scenes world at children's television programs from the 1990s to the 2000s, with a special focus on Dan Schneider's tenure as a producer and showrunner at Nickelodeon.
- Spacey Unmasked
- Explores the life of Kevin Spacey, one of the most powerful and respected actors in the world, from his meteoric rise to stardom through his spectacular fall from grace amid accusations of grooming, sexual harassment and abuse made by multiple men.
- Great Photo, Lovely Life
- Photojournalist Amanda Mustard turns her investigative lens on sexual abuse committed by her grandfather, beginning a personal journey in pursuit of the truth and reconciliation for her family.
- Victim/Suspect
- Investigative journalist, Rae de Leon, uncovers and examines the pattern of young women being ignored by authorities after being sexually assaulted.
Baby Reindeer
- "Baby Reindeer" is a TV adaptation of Richard Gadd's award-winning stage play of the same name. The show delves into Gadd's real-life experience with a relentless stalker, exploring themes of obsession, mental health, and the impacts of harassment.
Books
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali
- A profound and hopeful examination of sexual assault through the lens of a survivor, writer, counselor, and activist. Drawing on her personal experiences and extensive work with survivors, Abdulali challenges societal assumptions about rape and explores how communities can begin to heal.
- Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers by Deborah Tuerkheimer
- Deborah Tuerkheimer, a former prosecutor and legal expert, explores why societal and legal biases lead us to disbelieve allegations of sexual abuse and how these "credibility discounts" disproportionately harm marginalized women. By examining case studies and cultural patterns, Tuerkheimer offers a framework for improving credibility judgments and fostering justice for sexual misconduct survivors, aiming to transform the cultural and legal systems exposed by the #MeToo movement.
- Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay
- A collection of essays that explore what it means to live in a world where women are frequently belittled and harassed due to their gender, and offers a call to arms insisting that "not that bad" must no longer be good enough.
- Written on the Body: Letters from Trans and Non-Binary Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence edited by Lexie Bean
- "Written on the Body" is a collection of letters by and for trans and non-binary survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, offering support and hope for those seeking safety in unwelcoming places. Through intimate narratives addressing gender, identity, and abuse, the book provides a space for dialogue and reclamation, helping survivors find strength in reshaping their bodies, families, and lives.
- In a Day's Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers by Bernice Yeung
- Investigative journalist Bernice Yeung reveals the epidemic of sexual violence faced by female farmworkers, domestic workers, and janitorial workers across America, exposing how employers exploit immigrant women's vulnerabilities. Despite facing apathetic bosses and under-resourced agencies, these women and their allies fight back, challenging dangerous workplace conditions and striving for justice, ultimately inspiring hope and change.
- I Want to Go Home: Reclaiming Power After Sexual Assault by Renee Marie Simpson
- An inspiring true story based on journal entries about a brave young woman in her twenties who pushes herself out of her comfort zone when she agrees to join a sailing expedition from Gibraltar to Thailand, with no experience.
