Shattering Silences: Strategies to Prevent Sexual Assault, Heal Survivors, and Bring Assailants to Justice

by Christopher Johnston

Every two minutes someone in the US is sexually assaulted, and each year there are nearly 300,000 victims of sexual assault. But victims are no longer silent, and new practices by police, prosecutors, nurses, and rape crisis professionals are resulting in more humane and compassionate treatment of victims and more aggressive pursuit and prosecution of perpetrators.

Shattering Silences is the first book to cover these new approaches and partnerships. Christopher Johnston shows how the people and organizations implementing these new approaches are having far-reaching impacts on helping victims heal and making it more likely that predators will be arrested and sentenced. His in-depth portrayals of the altruistic and hard-working people behind these radical approaches--based on seven years of interviews--provide a template of best practices for other organizations and communities to follow. With sexual assault taking center stage these days, this book is more important than ever.

Genres: Nonfiction, Law, Politics

312 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Gabrielle Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Johnston researches indefatigably and thoroughly the untested rape kits across the nation with a focus on Detroit, Memphis, and Cleveland (his home town). The untested Sexual Abuse Kits (SAK) and the task forces formed (SAKTF) to discover, uncover, and test the kits ultimately convict the rapist and prevent numerous continued raping. The national organization Joyful Heart Foundation (JHF) receives high and well-earned praise for pursuing the testing and supporting the victims. The film I am Evidence is based on the work of JHF and won an emmy a few weeks ago.
Johnston covers the newly recognized, taught, and implemented treatment of rape victims. He tells of the women and men who work ceaselessly in Army trainings, police trainings, victims advocates, girls' detention homes and various positive programs inspiring hope and awe.
He does an excellent job of reporting. His human interest journalism is very well done when he stops using bold initials for the agencies and organizations. As in my first paragraph, I believe it stops the reader's flow and inhibits an emotional response. His depth exploration of the leaders in the field is impressive.
The experiences of the victims are well done with impact and integrity. The exception is in the first chapter where the explicit details of a young teen's rape are recorded word for word, act for act. If the lone detailed story was place in chapter one only to "grab" the readers, it is an unconscionable use of exploitation, exploiting the exploited. I note that nowhere in the book does he report in that manner.
One doesn't enjoy such a book, but the readers will have their hearts opened and their awareness raised many levels on the heinous crimes of rape and cover ups. One police officer wrote of the rape victim "Victim sounds like a conniving little whore." Our current president openly admitted in 2005 in an interview with Billy Bush that he freely molested women. Harry Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Larry Nassar. Jerry Sandusky. Jeffery Epstein. The list continues endlessly.
However, the newly passed bills, the police awareness trainings, the highly effective organizations, rape crisis centers, and preeminent leaders ARE changing the thousands of years of patriarchal beliefs that it is okay to rape women and children. Johnston brings us up to date on the newly emergent society where everyone, especially women and children are ensured of safety.

[Angie Mangino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shattering Silences
By Christopher Johnston
2019
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars

Assailants who inflict sexual assault for way too long have had silence working to protect them from being brought to justice. This same silence has worked against victims who struggle to heal and become survivors of the assault.

The author shares his conviction to break the silence.

“After eight years of researching, reporting, and interviewing about rape and sexual assault, I am more convinced than ever that it is our absolute responsibility as human beings to offer any survivors the support, compassion, respect and dignity they deserve and do everything in our power to ensure that we hold their assailants accountable and put them where they belong: prison.”
With in-depth research witnessed in the objective presentation of facts, this book presents the case for the silences to end.

As “we are now in the midst of a growing movement that began to coalesce through a synergy of events:”
• DNA testing beginning in the early 1990s
• FBI’s combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in 1999
• Rebecca Campbell, PhD’s research on neurobiology of trauma studies
• Discovery “of backlogs of estimated 400,000 untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) in the first decade of the 21st century
• The investigative reporters writing of neglected evidence
• Decisions by “enlightened cadre of attorneys general, county prosecutors. District attorneys, and law enforcement leadership to test and investigate the cases.”
• Federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) in 2014

Readers not only learn more about these events, but through those the author interviewed, additionally get to meet victims and many of the people who are dedicated to help implement change for their betterment as they seek conviction of assailants. What victims, police, prosecutors and medical professionals share will have readers looking at sexual assault from a different perspective than the historical approach of the past. https://amzn.to/2G7o0ib

Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance journalist and book reviewer, additionally offering authors personalized critique service and copyediting of unpublished manuscripts. www.AngieMangino.com

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

To quote Scott Armstrong in "Christian Science Monitor," "With sensitivity and compassion, Johnston looks at solutions to the rape crises in American - from the point of view of the police, prosecutors, medical professionals, and, most important, the victims themselves." That's a fine description of this important book. Those who interact with sexual assault victims are taught to believe them and not determine how they should respond to one who has been assaulted, and to know and assure them that it is not their fault. The dilemma of untested rape kits is addressed. Rebecca Campbell and the important work she has done is mentioned frequently. Much of the focus in this book takes place in Cleveland and Detroit. The stories of victims who often have also traumatized by the procedures of insensitive law enforcement and medical people, are told. There are nearly 300,000 victims of sexual assault each year in the United States and many of them are beginning to speak up and tell their stories, which improves the chances of this problem being successfully addressed.

[Ava Reiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book, I alternated between losing faith in humanity and seeing the best it has to offer. A valuable peek/summation into events leading to the cultural shift we've recently seen towards sexual violence.

Funny thing, I also caught a showing of "Live Bodies for Sale"--a play based on the true stories of five women from Cleveland. I went because a friend of mine acted in it. The playwright was none other than Christopher Johnston. Perhaps it's a continuation of some stories that couldn't be fit into this book. This was a show that left an impact one me.

Both this book and that play are valuable pieces for woke culture.