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WALLS OF SILENCE
SECTION 9
TITLE 9.3 SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST SOULAANI WOMEN—THE SILENT EPIDEMIC
Soulaani women experience sexual harassment at higher rate; according to a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
“Although Black women are considered nonprototypical sexual harassment victims, they experience sexual harassment at higher rates than White women.”
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This finding highlights an uncomfortable truth: Black women are disproportionately at risk of sexual violence, yet they do not fit western society’s dominant narrative of a sexual assault victim due to its commitment to totally false racial narratives. As Soulaani women, our experiences are frequently invalidated, our trauma unacknowledged, and the systemic abuse we face often ignored. This chapter will explore how entrenched stereotypes, systemic injustices, and institutional failures not only contribute to the unique vulnerabilities of Black women but also heighten the likelihood that they will go unprotected in situations where they most need support.
Subpart 1. The Scope of the Problem
Black women endure sexual violence at alarming rates, with nearly 1 in 5 having survived rape, while 41% have experienced sexual coercion or other unwanted sexual contact. And these are only the reported cases; the true numbers are likely far higher. For every Black woman who reports a sexual assault, at least fifteen others remain silent. The reasons for this silence are complex but familiar to many Black women: fear of shame, retaliation, and the ever-present threat of racial prejudice. Black women face a unique barrier in being believed, even when they do come forward. Historical patterns and ongoing discrimination have contributed to the perception that Black women are not legitimate victims. The legacy of stereotypes, such as the “Jezebel” or “promiscuous Black woman,” persists, making it difficult for Black women to be seen as innocent victims. Society’s refusal to acknowledge their trauma reinforces an unspoken message that Black women’s suffering is somehow less real, less tragic, and less worthy of attention.
Subpart 2. The Cost of Silence
One of the most harmful aspects of this dismissal is its impact on mental health. The trauma of sexual violence frequently leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Legal Abuse Syndrome, depression, substance misuse, suicidal ideation, and even suicide attempts. For Black women, these effects are further intensified by the intersections of racism and sexism. The consequences of trauma can manifest as heightened depressive symptoms and severe, complex PTSD, which can often go undiagnosed or unaddressed. When trauma is left untreated, it doesn’t simply disappear; it morphs into behavior patterns that can appear nonconforming to society’s expectations. This divergence can lead to criminalization, as Black women are punished for expressions of trauma that are often misunderstood by a legal system trained to see them as “strong” or “resilient” rather than as victims deserving compassion and care. And when Black women encounter law enforcement or the criminal justice system, they are frequently judged through lenses clouded by racial and gender biases, which further stigmatize them and reinforce harmful stereotypes.
Subpart 3. The Abuse-to-Incarceration Pipeline
An alarming number of Black women and girls caught up in the criminal justice system have histories of sexual violence. Studies reveal that girls in juvenile detention report extremely high rates of sexual trauma; among women in jail—44% of whom are Black—86% have experienced sexual violence. This stark reality reflects the profound failure of our society to protect Black girls and women from violence and to provide pathways to healing. Instead, the response to trauma is often criminalization. When Black women and girls act in self-defense or take survival-based actions that might violate societal norms or laws, their behavior is frequently met with punishment rather than empathy. Their survival strategies, whether physical resistance or boundary-setting, are misinterpreted as aggression or deviance, thus feeding an abuse-to-incarceration pipeline that targets them at a higher rate than their peers. This cycle reinforces the harmful stereotype of the “angry Black woman,” a trope that excuses society’s failure to address the underlying causes of Black women’s trauma.
Subpart 4. The “Strong Black Woman” Myth
The “strong Black woman” stereotype, one that I have encountered so often by white law enforcement, regulators and therapist that remark on their perception of my strength while refusing to document the incident which would require strength, plays a critical role in society’s inability to recognize Black women as victims. This trope, which idealizes resilience and stoicism, creates an expectation that Black women can “handle” more trauma than others, that they are somehow impervious to harm. This myth has devastating consequences for Black women, as it minimizes their pain and dismisses their need for support. As a result, organizations that should be allies—including schools, medical and mental health providers, and law enforcement—often fail to offer Black women the protection and advocacy they need. Instead of receiving support, many Black women are left to navigate the effects of sexual trauma on their own. The cumulative impact of this isolation and dismissal is significant. In trying to manage trauma independently, many Black women turn to coping mechanisms that can lead to further stigmatization or legal repercussions. Instead of being treated with understanding, their mental health struggles are often seen as personal failings, and they are met with judgment rather than empathy.
“The way to avoid this happening is simply to enforce policy, regulation and laws for Soulaani women, the same as everyone else when a complaint or report is filed; do not apply your understanding to us or try to understand us because the children of colonizers, and those who have not journeyed through the unique Soulaan experience with us, generally do not have the skills to accomplish that. Instead, give us justice according to the black and white language of the law and with that justice we’ll have more time and resources to teach others the skills to understand us by showing them
who we are; we cannot do that when social injustice keeps us trapped in the images others create .”—Amani Chiari, Walls of Silence
Subpart 5. Personal Experiences and Systemic Failures
The real-world consequences of these systemic failures can be devastating and relentless. For instance, when individuals escape abusive systems—such as harmful housing practices, coercive public programs, or corrupt social services—they often find themselves vulnerable to new forms of victimization. For some, the experience of homelessness, forced by a system that fails to protect, exposes them to further harassment, violence, and threats. Many women in these situations find themselves criminalized for defending themselves, only to face legal consequences for actions taken to ensure their own safety. Predatory behavior in communities where survivors are forced to live, whether because of housing instability or systemic exclusion, puts Soulaani women at ongoing risk. This cycle of re-victimization and criminalization reveals a profoundly criminal system of breaking the enforcement rules when Soulaani are the victim, where those in need of protection are repeatedly placed in harm’s way and punished for surviving it. When survivors report these violations, they are often met with skepticism or outright disbelief. Many Black women are forced to live with the traumatic outcomes of systems that promised them freedom and safety but delivered them only danger through failure to enforce.
Subpart 6. The Path to Change: Accountability, Advocacy, and Justice
Addressing this epidemic requires commitment at every level—from individuals to institutions. It begins with a collective willingness to believe and advocate for Soulaani women and girls. We must foster a societal shift that acknowledges the equal vulnerabilities they face without equal enforcement of protective policy and challenges the harmful racial stereotypes that have placed them at higher injury for far too long. There are ways to take action:
§ Educate Ourselves: Understanding the historical and contemporary realities of Black women’s experiences with sexual violence is crucial. Key resources include Listening to Black Women and Girls: Lived Experiences of Adultification Bias, Time’s Up: Black Survivors and Sexual Trauma, and NOW: Black Women and Sexual Violence. Other organizations, like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and RAINN, offer further information on the systemic injustices Soulaani women face.
§ Support Culturally Specific Services: Soulaani survivors need resources that are tailored to their unique experience with systematic injustice. Organizations such as Rights4Girls and other advocacy groups are working to provide culturally specific services and trauma-informed responses for Soulaani women and girls. Supporting and expanding these services is essential to fostering an environment of true protection and healing.
§ Push for Systemic Change: Legal and systemic regulation enforcement is critical to ensuring that Soulaani women are not further victimized. Resources like Enacting an Improved Response to Sexual Assault: A Criminal Justice Practitioner’s Guide can provide a framework for creating a justice system that is truly responsive to the experiences Soulaani survivors face just like everyone else.
§ Holding Systems Accountable: The struggle to protect Soulaani women and girls from sexual violence is not merely a matter of individual cases but a societal obligation. It’s a demand that the institutions meant to serve and protect us do not abandon that obligation when called upon by the most systematically vulnerable among us. For survivors, reclaiming safety and dignity often means fighting against not only abusers but also the very systems that failed and thus placed them in heightened proximity to dangerous threats—and calls them “strong” to dismiss consequences of this injustice. As a society, it’s time to stand in solidarity, to believe Black women, and to work toward a world where they are no longer unseen, unheard, or unprotected when it comes to protective enforcement—microaggression in regulation is not without injury.
In the words of Audre Lorde, “Your silence will not protect you.”
The time has come for collective action and accountability. The time has come to truly protect Black women and to ensure that they are valued, respected, and heard.
Abuser Profile | Emotional Abuse | Adult Grooming | Smoking Gun Documents | Sexual Abuse 20 Common Acts
Further Reading Online: American Psychological Association | National Library of Medicine
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Case Study: The Systemic Failure to Recognize Intimate Non-Personal Abuse
The Case of "Intimate Non-Personal" Abuse In Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Introducing New Framework For Recognizing and Addressing Intimate Non-Personal Abuse
Color-Coded In-Article Highlights Guide
Abuse Type / Highlight Purpose | Color | Meaning & Awareness Context |
Sexual Harassment | Teal | Widely recognized color for sexual violence and harassment awareness. |
Emotional Abuse | Yellow | Yellow symbolizes emotional abuse awareness; used in mental health advocacy contexts. |
Domestic Violence (Physical/Coercive) | Purple | Official domestic violence awareness color; symbolizes strength and survival. |
Acts Against Additional Victims | Orange | Distinct from the main victim, orange signals related but secondary harm; used in social justice campaigns. |
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