Making It Personal: Sexual Violence, Survival, and Support:

This engaging and inspiring talk confronts traditional thinking about sexual assault and domestic violence and empowers audiences to play an active role in prevention and response.

When Jessika was first assaulted, she was a second year law student at Rutgers School of Law – Camden. She was a Dean’s List student, an Eagleton Institute of Politics Fellow, the American Bar Association Law Student Division Third Circuit Governor, and a recent Top Ten Finalist at Miss New Jersey. Prior to law school, she had been Penn State’s Undergraduate Student Government Supreme Court Chief Justice, Panhellenic Greek Sing Overall Chair, a two-time Penn State Dance Marathon dancer, and co-founder and president of her sorority.

How – with a background of independence and success – had she become a sexual violence victim?

Jessika uses her personal story of sexual assault and domestic violence survival to address the deep-rooted defense mechanisms which cause us to view sexual violence as something that happens to “other” people, and lead to “victim blaming.”

She brings the audience into the conversation by acknowledging her own difficulty imagining herself as a sexual violence victim – even after it happened to her. She engages participants by explaining how perpetrators manipulate their targets, why it often takes time for a victim to leave an abusive situation, and how active intervention by those surrounding a victim may stop a perpetrator or contribute to a survivor’s healing. She empowers participants to use what they learn to actively participate in prevention, response, and ongoing support to survivors.

Myths vs. Facts: Straight Talk About Sexual Violence From a Thriving Survivor:

This direct and revealing talk confronts longstanding myths about sexual assault and domestic violence, challenging audiences to shift their posture from reactive to proactive and play an active role in sexual violence awareness, prevention, and response.

Jessika uses her personal story of sexual assault and domestic violence survival to address popular sexual violence myths: "Drug and alcohol use cause rape and domestic violence." "Women’s dress and behavior provoke rape." "Men can't be raped." "If it was that bad, she’d just leave." "Only certain types of women get raped or abused – not me."

She engages the audience by asking participants to consider the neurobiological mechanisms which encourage us to passively accept myths, rather than actively acknowledge reality.

Jessika narrates her personal denial of victimhood due to her own susceptibility to such myths, and empowers participants to use what they learn to actively debunk their own myths to promote personal and community safety.