330 survivors of child sexual abuse, at the hands of Dr. Larry Nassar, a doctor convicted of sexually abusing his gymnastics patients starting in 1997 and continuing to 2018, came forward to break the silence. Because of their bravery in coming forward to tell their truths, Larry Nassar was convicted. Now these survivors have found each other and call themselves the Sister Army. Their shared traumatic experience of sexual assault and the layers of shame they shed as they each stepped forward to speak their victim impact statements brought them together. The Sister Army is calling on their communities and institutions to change and prevent this horrible crime against children.
The survivors of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse have come together in their grief and rage. Here’s what they’re asking for:
1) Listen to survivors. Believe survivors. Even if you like and trust the person causing harm, report, investigate and do what you can to stop the person from doing more harm. Larry Nassar sexually assaulted young girls for over 20 years with no consequences. Survivors came forward, told their coaches, told their parents, but no one believed them. No one did anything about it. This silencing and lack of action made healing so much harder for these women and girls. This silence allowed the abuse to continue and for more children to be harmed.
2) Change the systems of reporting. This instance is a stark reminder of the lack of accountability our institutions have for people who cause harm to others. In 1997, Larissa Boyce was 16-years-old when Larry Nassar molested her. She and another survivor told their coach, Kathie Klages, who “interrogated” the girls and told them they misunderstood the medical procedure. Boyce said to an NBC reporter this year, “I told somebody. Instead of being protected, I was humiliated and told that I was the problem.”
There were at least 14 Michigan State University (MSU) representatives that knew of the complaints against Larry Nassar, including the University President, Lou Anne Simon.
In addition, there was a Title IX case at MSU investigating Nassar that concluded his behavior was not of a sexual nature. Four other physicians vouched for Larry Nassar’s methods. Nassar’s boss, William Strampel, Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was made aware of Nassar’s behavior, and still did nothing to stop the abuse.
Survivor Brianne Randall-Gay had a Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE), but the police took Nassar’s word over Randall-Gay’s and did not file charges against him. The survivors were betrayed by Michigan State University, the local police, and USA Gymnastics when they failed to take seriously accounts of sexual assault. Changes to the system of reporting and investigating claims must be made to make it possible to identify people doing harm and stop the abuse.
After the Nassar case, the entire USA Gymnastics Board resigned and a new president took over. The organization said in a statement “The organization has undergone significant reforms in the wake of his horrific acts that have impacted our athletes and community forever.” Olympic gymnast and Nassar abuse survivor, Aly Raisman, on October 2018, called for specifics about the organization’s so-called significant reforms and for a full investigation.
3) Train adults to prevent, recognize, and report child abuse. In all of the cases stated above there were adults silencing child victims and making excuses for Larry Nassar. Olympic gymnast and Nassar abuse survivor, Aly Raisman endorses a Flip the Switch campaign to educate adults about sexual abuse in sports. She says, “Athlete safety must be the highest priority, and all adults should become educated about how to prevent sexual abuse.” When adults can understand how child abuse works, such as with grooming (when abusers gain the trust of youth and families in order to exploit them and avoid responsibility), they can better spot it and help the children involved.
4) Survivors: Trust yourself. Know that if you feel the situation is not good, say something, even if others say it’s fine. Like many survivors of sexual assault, those in the Sister Army spoke of not being believed and that was terribly painful. Their advice to survivors is to trust your gut and insist on what’s true.
5) Change the culture of sexual assault. All people need to start having hard conversations about sexual assault. We need to bring this issue into the light,and stop the silent epidemic. We need to teach adults and children that their bodies are their own; they can say ‘no,’ and have that ‘no’ respected, even by adults.
Survivors are uniquely positioned to propose ideas to change systems that permit and condone sexual violence, assault, and harassment. However, it is unfair to expect survivors to do the heavy lifting, advocating, and educating about sexual violence. It takes all of us to speak up for systems change. Amplifying survivor voices is one way to impact change.
For more resources to change culture and policies on sexual harassment, violence, and assault. visit our website, www.ItStartsWithUsNM.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @StartsWithUsNM.
Written by Alex Ross-Reed (she, her, hers), a sexual violence prevention specialist, health educator, writer, and artist living in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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