Very important. This has affected my family and was not dealt with properly. I’m not the victim, but I worry about how it will affect my family member later in life because of how it was mishandled.
I was a victim of this when I was younger as well. The perpetrator however wasn’t related to me and was a friend I who lived next door to my grandma. It’s a really tricky thing to process as there isn’t anything to be resolved really. It feels like there is no Justice to serve. I thought this was only a me thing until just last year when I learned this had actually happened to other people. As a child this lead to me seeking out sexual content/doing sexual things: but I think the saddest part is when I was scolded for this and revealed that I got all of this from the little girl next to grandma’s house I was said to be lying
whew! I felt this!!! We often are told to act like it wasn’t real or it didn’t happen. Hopefully, one day we all can save the next generation. We have to continue to talk about it, inform parents/adults and look at ourselves. Thank you for sharing.
I deeply appreciate your essay for shining a spotlight on the critical and often-overlooked discussions around COCSA. As a survivor, I spent decades in denial about my childhood abuses, largely because I didn’t know how to name them. I believed the universal terms and understanding of sexual abuse applied to experiences far outside or above what I had endured. Until now, I was unaware of COCSA as a concept and had accepted what happened to me as just an unfortunate chapter in my life.
Even in conversations with therapists and fellow survivors, I had yet to name my experience as COCSA. Reading your essay has brought me a deeper sense of clarity and recognition. I am particularly affirmed by the increasing awareness and advocacy from figures like Keke Palmer, whose courage further underscores the need for conversations like these. Thank you for creating this essential piece—it is both a reference and a source of affirmation for those of us still navigating the complexities of healing.
Thank you so much for writing this article about COCSA. This is something that needs to be talked about on the regular—especially amongst Black folks. Secrecy around this topic keeps so many survivors quiet and many of us think that we’re the only ones going through it. So much unnecessary confusion and shame occurs. Also authors George M. Johnson and Hari Ziyad are also COCSA survivors who share their stories in their individual memoirs. Again, thank you for publishing this article. I just started following.
I did not know that there was a term for this. Thank you for providing language for an experience that’s had a significant impact on my family dynamics.
Very important. This has affected my family and was not dealt with properly. I’m not the victim, but I worry about how it will affect my family member later in life because of how it was mishandled.
It’s such a tricky topic that some people refuse to acknowledge but it has to be done and properly. Sending you and your family healing.
Keke Palmer’s interview helped me to exhale a bit, and your piece furthered that. Thank you. You have no idea🫶
Yes, same. I felt so alone until KeKe & Chrisean opened up about. Thank you for receiving this and engaging. Sending you love 💗
Wow I really needed this
I was a victim of this when I was younger as well. The perpetrator however wasn’t related to me and was a friend I who lived next door to my grandma. It’s a really tricky thing to process as there isn’t anything to be resolved really. It feels like there is no Justice to serve. I thought this was only a me thing until just last year when I learned this had actually happened to other people. As a child this lead to me seeking out sexual content/doing sexual things: but I think the saddest part is when I was scolded for this and revealed that I got all of this from the little girl next to grandma’s house I was said to be lying
whew! I felt this!!! We often are told to act like it wasn’t real or it didn’t happen. Hopefully, one day we all can save the next generation. We have to continue to talk about it, inform parents/adults and look at ourselves. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for shedding a light on this
Thank you for accepting.
Thank you for speaking about this
I deeply appreciate your essay for shining a spotlight on the critical and often-overlooked discussions around COCSA. As a survivor, I spent decades in denial about my childhood abuses, largely because I didn’t know how to name them. I believed the universal terms and understanding of sexual abuse applied to experiences far outside or above what I had endured. Until now, I was unaware of COCSA as a concept and had accepted what happened to me as just an unfortunate chapter in my life.
Even in conversations with therapists and fellow survivors, I had yet to name my experience as COCSA. Reading your essay has brought me a deeper sense of clarity and recognition. I am particularly affirmed by the increasing awareness and advocacy from figures like Keke Palmer, whose courage further underscores the need for conversations like these. Thank you for creating this essential piece—it is both a reference and a source of affirmation for those of us still navigating the complexities of healing.
Thank you so much for writing this article about COCSA. This is something that needs to be talked about on the regular—especially amongst Black folks. Secrecy around this topic keeps so many survivors quiet and many of us think that we’re the only ones going through it. So much unnecessary confusion and shame occurs. Also authors George M. Johnson and Hari Ziyad are also COCSA survivors who share their stories in their individual memoirs. Again, thank you for publishing this article. I just started following.
I did not know that there was a term for this. Thank you for providing language for an experience that’s had a significant impact on my family dynamics.