Sexual Abuse Survivors Deserve Better: Bill Cosby

    In recent news, Bill Cosby’s sexual assault charges have been overturned due to legal technicalities. This event can be very triggering to many survivor groups because it shows how the system can easily fail those who have spoken up about their experience. According to Jeglic (2021), “sexual abuse is the most underreported crime, and it is estimated that only about one-third (37%) of survivors report the crime to authorities”. Not only that, but “only 25
out of every 1000 sex crimes result in incarceration for the perpetrator” (Jeglic, 2021). It can seem like Cosby got a “free pass” because of his fame.

It is pretty difficult for me to write about this topic because I, myself, have experienced being wronged through legal technicalities. The first time I actually had the courage to speak up about being sexually assaulted resulted into nothing. I was so disheartened when the person I had spoken with about my assault told me there was nothing they could do because of certain legal
technicalities. Now, my situation might not have the same severity as the survivors dealing with the Bill Cosby case, but the feeling of being failed by the justice system is one that I, and many other sexual assault victims, are far too familiar with. Saying that you feel hopeless or helpless
does not do the feeling justice.

This event can be extremely difficult for survivors because it can feel like the justice system has failed them. It can bring feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. In these situations, it is recommended that survivors use techniques that can help them cope with these triggers. Jeglic (2021) mentions 5 techniques that survivors can use during these times. The first is to stay away from social media. Given that Bill Cosby is such a high-profile celebrity, there is most likely going to be a lot of social media exposure about the issue, and that can be triggering to some survivors. A couple of other techniques revolve around practicing mindfulness and grounding techniques so that survivors can feel a little bit more at ease regarding the news about him going around. Another strategy is to stay away from drugs and alcohol because numbing the emotional pain that comes with hearing traumatic new only makes things worse for the
survivor. Reaching out to the ones you love and trust is also recommended so that they know that you are struggling. It is important to remind survivors that they are not alone during these times because of how it feels like everything and everyone is going against them.

References:

Jeglic, E. L. (2021). Why Bill Cobsy’s sentence being overturned can trigger survivors. Psychology
Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/protecting-children-sexual-
abuse/202106/why-bill-cosby-s-sentence-being-overturned-can-trigger.