Teen Survivors: Healing After Sexual Violence

Adolescence is an incredibly formative time in our lives and healing from sexual violence at this age can add another layer of challenge for survivors. Join us as we discuss the ways these survivors have healed and moved forward after trauma. Hosted by PAVE Ambassador and survivor, Delaney Henderson, this panel features both survivors who are currently teens and survivors who experienced sexual violence when they were teens.

Learn More About The Panelists

Jean Ruggiero

Jean has been involved with PAVE for 8 years now. Jean has actively spoken out against sexual violence with her own story of high school sexual assault. Following high school Jean began working with PAVE and sharing her story. She has spoken at schools, events, university events, and rape crisis centers.

Jean is a currently masters social work student at Quinnipiac University. She aims to continue to work with survivors in a more therapeutic setting.  Jean is also a member of the LGBTQ community and has faced sexual violence in relation to that as well. Jean is an experienced speaker who wants survivors to know they are never alone on their journey.

Lee

“My name is Lee. I am 19 years old and I am a survivor of sexual abuse/ violence. I have an amazing dog, her name is Mabel. I hope to continue to uplift and support survivors. it is a dream of mine to work for pave I’ve seen the phenomenal work they’ve done for survivors and people like me. I just want to be the beacon of hope that so many other survivors before me have given me.”

Nicole

Nicole has been involved with Pave for 6 years. She is a high school assault survivor who finds strength in sharing her story. Every year on her survivor- anniversary she finds peace in re-sharing her story in hopes to help other survivors feel supported. Nicole was a competitive volleyball player for 12+ years and was unable to finish her college athletic dreams due to an injury she sustained during her assault. Today she coaches volleyball part time to continue the love she had for her sport that her abuser stripped away, she spends her full-time work week as a Patient Care Coordinator at a women’s health clinic supporting women and their bodies. Nicole believes there is a staggering beauty to be found in trauma and healing, she hopes to continue to support survivors in their healing journey.

Osito Avalos

“I’m Osito Avalos, I’m a 15 year old sophomore that’s trying to do their best at home and at school. I come from a single parent household due to violence within the household. I love my mom since I know she does all she can for me and I do the same for her. We’ve stuck together despite all of the violence within the household which has only made our relationship stronger. If I can do it so can you.”

Delaney Henderson

Delaney Henderson’s story made headlines when she was sexually assaulted by two boys with whom she went to high school with. After repeated attacks in school and on social media, Delaney decided to share her experience with the world as she came forward with her story at 17 years old. Delaney was repeatedly bullied and re-traumatized following her sexual assault and was named publicly in a rap song that was published which also threatened her life. Being an unprecedented case and the first of its kind, this rap song made its way to the California Supreme Court of Appeals which overturned the previous judge’s decision to throw out the case claiming freedom of speech, and they also agreed to have this case published because of the importance behind it.

As an ambassador of PAVE, Delaney’s story has been featured on a 48 Hours Special Edition Episode on CBS as well as the Television Show, Crime Watch Daily on Broadcast syndication. She was invited to the Sundance International Film Festival to speak on behalf of sexual assault victims across the nation in a documentary on Netflix called Audrie & Daisy, in which her story is also featured in. Delaney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and aims to spark a change in culture by sharing her powerful story with many young adults, parents and survivors.

Delaney is a frequent contributor to national headline media and has been featured in Huffington Post, New York Times and MTV with an article she has written regarding her story. She recently wrote a powerful letter to the Stanford Survivor in the rape case scandal and her breath-taking letter was picked up by People Magazine, Teen Vogue Magazine, Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Daily Mail, Womanista, Yahoo, Thought Catalog and Noozhawk. Delaney is also a returning survivor advocate expert for the Bipartisan Congression Taskforce Against Sexual Violence.