On Second Thought For Monday, October 1, 2018

The FBI is currently investigating allegations of sexual assault made against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Tens of millions of Americans watched testimony from Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. Responses to the hearings and the #MeToo Movement make clear sexual violence is something that must be addressed in the public sphere. We spoke with University of Georgia psychology professor Isha Metzger and Sally Sheppard, executive director of The Cottage, a sexual assault center and children's advocacy center. We discussed how we talk about sexual assault in our communities. "On Second Thought" for Monday, Oct. 1, 2018

Some survivors of sexual assault have chosen to tell their stories through creative mediums. Jessica Caldas is an Atlanta-based artist and activist who tells women’s stories through her artwork. She wants her art to create space for her audience to have difficult conversations about trauma and healing. We spoke with Caldas about the role of art in processing her own sexual assault.

From social media to Capitol Hill, conversations about sexual assault are dominating the national dialogue, taking a topic that for decades was taboo to the center of public debate. We asked how these conversations have gone with your loved ones. Lisa Myers taught high school in Georgia for more than a decade. She told us about growing up in an era when practically no one talked about sex. We also heard from Donna Munday, a Gen Xer who lives in the Atlanta area with her husband, daughter and son. Munday described how her own experience with sexual violence altered her perspective. Zosima Castañeda, a millennial and a new mom, told us how she hopes the conversation about sexual assault changes in the future. 

If you need a safe place to talk about your experience, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673.

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