Testimonies

I'm not even 16 yet and TWO of my best friends were assaulted last year. One was raped. Both boys were from all-boy private schools in sydney. I dont have that many close friends, so the fact that in one year it happened to two? I can't help but think "what if i'm next." I'm terrified.

Throughout 3 months of my life in year 10 I was sexually assaulted consistently by a male student. I believe that if consent had been consistently reinforced since year 7 these events would have never occurred.

When I was 14 I went to my friends house (Joeys). He was the first boy I ever thought liked me. When I first arrived his mum was home but soon after she said she had to go somewhere but I wasn't worried. I had been excited to hang out and he said we were going to play a 'special version' of like COD or GTA or something. This was that every time I lost I would have to remove a piece of clothing. I thought he was kidding but when I lost to him he forcibly tried to remove my shirt. I protested and it only made him more keen, he ended up throwing me over his shoulder and trying to carry me into his bedroom. It was only when i started crying that he stopped and got annoyed. I left after that. I still don't know if that's even a crime but the scariest part of that for me was the realisation that I had no control over the situation. He was much stronger than me and I couldn't fight him off even when he was jokingly trying to take off my clothes. If he had really been trying to assault me I wouldn't have stood a chance. To this day I panic if someone grabs my arm.

I was raped by a boy 1 year older than myself in the hallway of a classroom building just after the end of school bell. I was 15 years old. I knew him as a friend. He pushed me to the floor and i froze whilst he pulled my underwear off and stuck it in. I tried to push him off and almost blacked out in schock. Next thing i remember is running to my bus, the building was right next to the bus bay after school.

When I was 13 at the end of 8th grade, my boyfriend at the time who was also in my grade at this school raped me of my virginity. He asked me if I was ready, I said no and he put it in anyway. The next time, and for many times after that I knew my consent meant nothing so I'd just lay there like roadkill, waiting for it to be over, trying not to cry. Him and his group gaslit me into believing I wanted all of it, even though I knew deep down I didn't. One time, I had consented for us to have vaginal sex, he instead violently raped me in the ass, and I was too scared to say anything. He ended up breaking up with me.

I was raped by my high school boyfriend when I was 16. We were both in year 11, he would constantly emotionally abuse me and told me I'm crazy and that I'm delusional. Every time he wanted to have sex I would try to lie my way out of it and he would slam me down and choke me then proceeds to have sex with me. He filmed me without consent multiple times, I did ask him to delete it and he told me I didn't trust him. He then started crying telling me how hurt me was because I had the audacity to tell to delete the sex tapes even though he's my boyfriend.

I high school I got drunk at a party and fell asleep on a couch in the living room. When I woke up two boys from my school had pulled down my shirt and bra and were touching my chest. There were other people in the room and no one said or did anything to stop them. One was in the same age as me and one was in a younger year.

My first boyfriend would manipulate me into sleeping with him and start fights with me if I said no, and wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. One time he forced me to go down on him while I was crying and having a panic attack and told me I was being selfish for not wanting to do it. At school I was taught to 'just say no' but I would have been spared a lot of anguish if we'd been taught more about manipulation and to recognise patterns of assault or abuse for what they are.

I was assaulted by a fellow peer outside of school, and stalked by them for months after the assualt at school and outside of school. They also harassed my friends in a sexual way and would pray on girls in my year.

It was 2014 schoolies and I had been out partying at a friends place. I had been fooling around with a boy and ended up falling asleep in his bed. I woke up to him having sex with me. I remember being shocked and asking if he had a condom on but that's it, I just lay there hoping he would finish soon. It took me years to realise it was not my fault or anything that I had done but instead it was rape, he had raped me.

In year 9 I dated a boy for about 6 months. I really trusted this boy, and he was on the quieter side, never pressured me into doing anything and always made me feel super comfortable around him. One night I sent him a photo of me in my bra and didn't think too much of it, trusting it wouldn't be shown to anyone else. A few months later we broke up - it was amicable and we didn't have much to do with each other after that. 3 years later I met another boy and while chatting to him he suddenly stopped and said 'OH you're the one with the big tits!' I was absolutely mortified realizing that my photo from 3 years ago had come back to bite me.

I was assaulted overseas by a student while attending an international school trip. He was there for a school rugby trip. He dug his fingers inside me and told me he wouldn't let me go until he came. I blacked out and woke up with him on top of me. I never reported it because I'd been drinking at at the time didn't realise the gravity of what had happened to me and have held onto that memory for 17 years.

This was back in 2016 I was at a bar very intoxicated and I was all over this guy. He was sober and was driving. The next thing I remember he was driving me to his house I was barely conscious in the passenger seat and I don't remember anything after that. when I was at work the next day I was told we slept together and I cried in the bathroom. I was so embarrassed and ashamed even though he was the sober one and should've known that I was in no state to consent to sex. To this day I have never treated it as assault or rape because 'I asked for it' and have been continually slut shamed about it. I didn't ask for it I was passed out in the car moments before it happened.

When I was in year 10 I was invited to a friends gathering. I didn't know the older boys very well and wanted to go to bed early. I asked my friend if I could sleep in her bed, and I went upstairs. About 5 minutes later, one of the older boys who I had met that night, and spoken to for barely 10 minutes, opened the door and got into bed with me. I had absolutely no idea why he was there, and I was paralyzed with fear and confusion. That man essentially raped me that night. I did not give him consent and didn't know what to do or how to get out of the situation. I know he thought that happened was consensual - but why he came into the room or did those things without asking me or knowing me is beyond my understanding. The worst part was some of the other girls at the gathering kept walking in trying to expose me or see what was going on - except they thought I was a slut and never checked to see if I was ok. I have carried that night with shame for the past 10 years.

I was 17 and he was 20 and we became friends at work. I was driving him home from work, when he began to pressure me to take him home with me. I was really uncomfortable and did not want him to come back to my place, but he persisted and guilt tripped me - I didn't know how to say no. he consistently spoke about how he wanted to have sex with me, and how he was going to do it. I told him numerous times that I was not interested in having sex with him. He began to force himself upon me, and penetrated me.