Dedication: I would like to dedicate this story to my beloved friends.
No matter what you are going through, know that you are not alone on this struggle, and that you have many people who love and cherish you as a whole. Please talk to a trusted adult, friend, or guardian.
A few months ago, I was sexually harassed and assulted by a fellow male classmate of mine. At first, it was just small remarks, and teasing about my body. But, the longer it went he began touching me, and caressing my inner thigh everyday. Even when fellow classmates and teachers were around he would keep his hand on my inner thigh despite my many attempts to take his hand off. Eventually, he spiraled out of control and began doing worser things to me. It got so bad, I was so afraid to tell anyone. Everytime it happened, I wanted to speak up about it, but I didn’t. I was so scared, everytime it happened I froze in fear. He never asked for consent, and visibly noticed that I was uncomfortable and even acknowledged it. I thought of this person as a good friend, and I genuinely liked to talk to this person until this point in time. I didn’t want anyone to hate him and think lesser about him, so for the longest time I didn’t speak up about it. I was really afraid to confront him, and tell him to stop. However, later on I gained a lot of confidence and I told my closest friends about this situation. They gave me a lot of encouragement and reassurance, and gave me alot of advice. So I confronted my classmate about it. He did stop harassing me but he used the excuse, “I thought you liked me, so I did all those things to you” and “You never said anything so I thought It was okay.” He tried to guilt trip me into thinking It was my fault that all of this happened to me, and that I should’ve said something If I was scared. Sometimes I wish he was still my friend, but I don’t think it would’ve been the right decision if I did, because things would’ve become worser if I stayed. I feel like I should’ve told someone sooner, instead of waiting months just to tell someone. I regret not telling an adult or guardian about this, but I’m glad it’s over. Never let another person do unwanted things to you just because they “love” you.
Again, please tell someone such as a trusted family member if you are dealing with a serious problem.