In her just-released memoir, Always Young and Restless: My Life On and Off America's #1 Daytime Drama, Emmy-nominated actor Melody Thomas Scott shares her story of surviving sexual abuse and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry. Read RAINN's exclusive interview with Melody on her story as a survivor, author, and American television icon.

RAINN recently hosted a virtual coffeehouse discussion with authors, survivors, and activists Kelly Yang and Chessy Prout on creating safer environments for students on high school and college campuses and making sure all survivors have the resources they need to heal. The survivors shared personal stories about their experiences, calling the conversation “a celebration of survivorship.” 

"This notion of normalizing violence as a way of life has got to stop," says Ann Mukherjee, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America. "We have to stop prioritizing maintaining appearances over justice. It’s time to break down those walls."

If you are a survivor who has recently experienced a sexual assault, you may be considering if a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam is right for you. This can be an overwhelming decision, and that’s why DoD Safe Helpline is expanding the educational resources available to military survivors.

The just-released RAINN app offers survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones support, self-care tools, and information to help manage the effects of trauma. “Anyone can use the app,” said Sorensen. “Whether you’re a survivor, a loved one looking to get support, or any person looking to learn more about how to prevent sexual violence and support survivors. We’re here for you.”

One tool common to those who sexually abuse kids and teens is grooming: manipulative behaviors that the abuser uses to gain access to a potential victim, coerce them to agree to the abuse, and reduce the risk of being caught. Though grooming can take many different forms, it often follows a similar pattern. 

As states have eased restrictions over the last 60 days, a record number of people have sought services from RAINN. A total of 60,437 people received help from RAINN’s victim service programs in May and June, up 18 percent from the same period last year, and the highest number in RAINN’s 26-year history. “As states began lifting stay-at-home orders and some survivors finally had the privacy to seek out support, RAINN experienced a dramatic spike in people accessing help from the National Sexual Assault Hotline and our other victim service programs,” said Scott Berkowitz, president of RAINN. “In May and June, half of visitors to our online hotline, which sees some of the most urgent cases, were minors.”