There is no denial that there have been horrific examples of women, young girls, boys or men having their lives in jeopardy due to sex crimes but were able to escape the perpetrator. At some point even the mental trauma of sexual abuse has made life a struggle for both men and women – and has lead to some victims taking their own life. The term ‘survivor’ is certainly appropriate

The use of the word ‘survivor’ has been expanded greatly over the last 10 years. It no longer is used to indicate just someone who survived the holocaust, a military battle, a natural disaster, a terrorist attack – or even the examples above related to escaping a sexual criminal.

In some cases today the term can be used to refer to an anonymous person, who in their younger years had sexual experiences which they now see as taking advantage of them. These individuals in some cases have been willing participants in these activities; flown to luxury locations on private planes, repeatedly gone to hotel rooms; accepted money for ‘massages’. However they were ‘young’, trying to make career contacts, anxious to ‘see the world’, desirous of being around the rich and powerful and can’t be considered to be responsible for their actions even when over 18, 20 or 30 years old.

These individuals and others have concluded they were victims. Perhaps they were. However referring to them as victims is in my opinion more appropriate that calling them ‘survivors’