Why should I submit my story? By submitting your story, you are boldly and publicly claiming it as your own. You are giving the public the opportunity to better understand the epidemic of rape and how it really affects people. You are also providing a resource for those who may have had similar experiences. Your voice, in conjunction with the voices of all other survivors who share their stories, helps break the silence. How can I take care of myself during this process? As you share your story, you may re-live traumatic details of your experience. We encourage you to take care of yourself and to seek out supportive people in your life. Your local rape crisis center may also provide assistance during this process. In addition, Take Back the News provides links to resources that may be a source of support. You may also contact the confidential RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. Why are the stories organized into specific areas of experiences? There are many types of sexual violence. The stories on our site are organized into specific areas of experiences with the intention of providing a writing focus for survivors. By including survivors’ stories in specific areas of experiences, their stories also provide a direct resource for other survivors who may have experienced a similar type of sexual violence. What if I don’t know how to start writing my story? Writing your story of survival can be an intimidating process. If it is difficult for you to find a starting point in your writing process, Take Back the News provides writing prompts specific to each area of experience. You may use the prompts as they are or refer to them as a source of direction. Do I need to include my identity? In an effort to confront the stigma associated with sexual violence and release the shame that many survivors carry, we encourage you to use your full name and home town when you submit your story. If you are not comfortable sharing your full name, you may use your first name or submit “Anonymous” as your name. If you live in a small town and do not want to identify it, please include the name of the nearest city. Can I include the name of my assailant? You cannot include the name, or any other identifying features, of your assailant unless he or she has been convicted in a court of law. How do I submit my story? Fill out the submit form here and click “submit.” You can type your story in a word processing program and cut and paste it, or you can type directly into the box provided on the site. If you are having any trouble submitting, contact Emily. What happens once I submit my story? Because stories of sexual violence are often misrepresented in mainstream media, your story will be printed in your own words, and edited only for typos. It will be posted on the Take Back the News website, usually within a week of submission. All submitted stories are published on the website, where the general public can access the truth about how rape affects real people. Please be mindful that once you submit, your story will be accessible to the public. If at any point, you wish to edit or remove your story, contact Emily. Will my story be reprinted? Some stories published on the website may later be published in print media through Community Print Projects. This will only happen with your explicit permission. When a campus or community anti-rape group hosts a Take Back the News Print Project, they occasionally request permission to print stories from the website. If permission to print your story is requested, the request will be forwarded to you, and you will make the decision. No story will be published in print media without your permission. In order to ensure that we are able to contact you, please send any updates of your email address to Emily. What if I want to make changes to my story? If you wish, you can edit or remove your story by contacting Emily with the changes you would like made.