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Whenever you hear the words "sexual assault," many people instinctively assume that the victim is female. But as you can see from this powerful photography series, it isn't always so black and white.

The pictures are part of 'Project Unbreakable,' a website set up in 2011 by Grace Brown, a New York photography student. The purpose of the site is to raise awareness about sexual assault by giving a voice to those who have been victims of it. The pictures feature survivors holding up posters with quotes from their attackers, and many of those who volunteered to be a part of the project were men who had been subjected to sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence.

The website was closed in 2015, but as Grace wrote recently, "In light of our current political climate - the fact that a man accused of multiple instances of sexual assault is about to be the president of the USA - I have decided to repost images from Unbreakable on its Instagram account. We won’t stay silent - not for the oppressed, not for the marginalized, not for anyone."

More info: Project Unbreakable | Instagram

#1

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Petra Christovová
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All such creeps should die alone, unforgiven and broken, "people" like the uncle are disgusting pieces of s*it and do not deserve anything better.

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#6

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Luc Mailloux
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same thing happened to me. It's hard to talk about it since a brother is different from an uncle or stranger. I'm "not allowed" to discuss it with folks according to my mother. Ya. It's not right.

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Mel Biago
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then when you're told "just look at it from his point of view, he was young too, almost a kid himself". As if that made it any less terrifying.

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Grace Barclay
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a woman who was sexually assaulted by my older sister, this breaks my heart all over again. To the person in this photograph, I wish you love, happiness and peace. You are a survivor...

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Gladys Coto
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People are sick...at times even brothers!...so sorry for you

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Kimberly Puchniarz
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No! it's not okay! That's why they prey upon others younger and more innocent than themselves.

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Steve Patterson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok. Trigger. I could puke. I haven't spoken to my brother in 14 years. F**k him.

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Shuacliff _
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah the practicing line is just evil. But it's like an evil pill. It's a snare at first but then later its poison as you question yourself the event and your own confusion and guilt.

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Hayley Rodgers
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know someone who went through something like this, the issue is, none of those involved were truly attackers, they were all victims of a family that refused to talk about sex or acknowledge any wrong when they found out what happened. None of them hurt anyone else and all are sorry and hurting from it. Sex ed is SOOOO important

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Lindsey Large
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My brother did this to me, I was 8 and he was 13, he used to creep into my bed at night until I finally got the courage to threaten him. He has never been held to account for his actions. I told my Dad around 17 years ago and he then cut me out of his life, he passed away last week and now my husband and son want him to face up to what he has done. I have suffered with terrible OCD ever since.

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Anish Sidhant Mathur
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

....... . Eventually we didn't talk for the first week just a usual (HI’s, bye’s, mooring’s) ad one day he asked me if we could go for a walk we walked pretty far from the house, and to break the elephant in the room I just brought up the fact that I'm Bi now and he was the first family member I ever came out to and I told him it wasn't his fault. but he told me after that time he failed his exams and his grades dropped he went into depression because of what he did to me because I was 7 and was 15 ads he didn't know what he was doing and that he was just trying to experiment. I told him it wasn't his fault but I was crying and tearing up a serious bonding thing which I always wanted I always wanted an older brother not cousin to bond to look up to. I forgave him for what he did to me. But now it’s hard for me as an Indian my rules in living it's very harshly viewed and I hope I can make it.

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Anish Sidhant Mathur
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

...... to see what he was doing but slowly, I also grabbed his C*** from behind me as he was pressed against my rear end. I started to cry but he covered my mouth and I passed out, In the morning I remembered everything and the worst part was I woke up and had no pants or underwear ad whoever passed basically just laughed no one helped me. that was my own family. since then I only trust myself all my cousins just looked at me and laughed because I apparently had a boner. since then I have been scarred for life. And now in 19 and last year I went back to Canada where my cousin's live after not seeing them for 12 years. Hoping they he would have forgotten even though I never did.

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Anish Sidhant Mathur
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm 19 and I'm pretty sure I'm bisexual. I went to a boarding school in India to be able to make sure I could study properly and not get distracted which TBH made me more rebellious and I now that I'm back home I have started to argue about everything and that's because I don’t feel anyone hears me anymore. I went through depression a few years ago and it's still their I know it because I sit in the shower in the dark and just reflect almost every day. I have cut before but I'm not doing that anymore. when I was 7 my older cousin brother molested me and robbed me of my innocence. I was so pure I had not even touched myself before like the way he did, he also made me grab his C*** and stroke it and if I would tell no one would believe me. and since then I have felt as if I am not str8. other than just touching him and him grabbing me. we were cousins so we were forced to sleep in the same room and one night I felt him come to close to me and I was slightly awake so I didn't do anything

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Richard Petch
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know, I went through that from the age of 5/6 years old from my only elder brother.

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Donna Van Avery
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and you have to see him at family gatherings? I hope he got what he deserved!

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myplane150
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're own freaking brother!?! If the afterlife exists, there's a special place waiting to torment that f*cker!

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Sweep the Leg
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The brother was probably a victim of sexual abuse himself. It's usually a cycle.

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#24

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Nina Sanz
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does make sense. I believe you. Forgive your parents, forgive yourself and let it go.

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#26

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Kimberly Puchniarz
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They "thought" you wouldn't remember one of the most devastating things to have happened in your whole life? Really? Wtf!?

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#28

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E Menendez
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Though rare women can be rapists. I have heard that men can't be raped by women because they need to be hard. It would be like saying a woman isn't raped if she is wet. Both are a physiological response. Everyone has the right to say "NO" no matter what their physiological response.

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#31

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Ana Ryguła
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jesus. What a monster she is. How can anyone do anything like this to anyone? Not to mention she was historia mother :(

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#32

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Hannah Bunker
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think I can read many more of these, I want to cry for all these poor people who were abused like this. Next chance I get I am raising awareness for this cause. I feel like people should know that they can go to a lot of people for this and they will be protected. This is disgusting.

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#33

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Smoofy
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate how people expect men and boys to like it. I f*****g hate it.

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#40

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Kimberly Puchniarz
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These sick af individuals will say or do anything so as to manipulate their victims. Disgusting in every way possible!

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#42

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Anne Moe
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's possible that he feels that he was forced into being gay; What is probably really happening is that he hasn't processed his trauma and is actually continuously reenacting it. In our culture we regard gay as a sexual orientation that is not chosen, and for us it is like that. For him it is not, and it is his reality. Opening up about trauma is the first step to healing. Your insensitive comments here might halt that process. It's his trauma, his life, his situation. Let him have ownership to it. He might be born gay, he might not be born gay; that doesn't change the fact that he lives in a culture were being gay is a punishable offence that might cost him his life, and get him raped even more. So just let him have ownership of his trauma and figure things out for himself. Show some goddamn love, or shut your pie-holes.

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#43

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Kimberly Puchniarz
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So sorry to hear how much pain you were forced to deal with. Physically and emotionally.

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#47

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Kimberly Puchniarz
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's the little sicko b***h!! May he burn in hell with all the other predators!!

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#54

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Angelika Okotokro
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's what many of them say: "you caused it yourself!" Sick bastards!!! So sorry 😢😢

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#55

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Shauday Smith
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i think i'm lacking some context for this quote... is this what the attacker said before they assaulted him? like it was some sort of twisted "training" or skill building? :(

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#62

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Kimberly Puchniarz
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah right, it was your words you sick predator, not your physically raping me!!! Sickest predator.

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