Let me first tell you a story. It was the beginning of June of my senior year, graduation was in a week and after that I was to set out on a two week European vacation. The first event to kick off all these exciting events that were to come was the Luke Bryan concert on June 2nd at Comcast Center in Mansfield. Once my mother dropped Kara and I off that’s when the fun started we mixed our drinks and started to drink our “happiness” as I call it. Anyways I introduced Kara into my work friend Shannon who was there with her boyfriend another co-worker Dan. After we said our hellos took plenty of pictures, it was time to go in to the concert by then I finished my drink. Then it hit me like freight train and I was like holy s*** I’m drunk WAHOO and Kara was just like old god during one of the openers I wouldn’t stop dancing and singing I was the life of the party according to Kara. Then for whatever reason I was like I’m going to go on an adventure leaving all my friends including Kara and managed to make my way up to the Front I think I planned on leaving? Honestly I don’t even know. The next thing that came next was not my proudest moment I saw a cop and went up to him because I thought he would buy me a water and I say “help me I’m poor” in a British accent and then proceed to puke all over his shoes…and he was uh sir “I think you should come with me” and I was like ok!! Got to ride in a wheelchair and I was like wait…am I in trouble thinking to myself no I can’t be I’m a good kid I don’t do this. So anyways they belathlyzsed me and I blew a .176 whoopsie daisy and they promised I wasn’t in trouble as long as I followed everything they said. Anyways I digress so they loaded Dan and I into the same police van this is where it gets strange. He started to kiss my neck and I was like uh…then he started to make out with me and I was oh okay why not Yolo right?? Then I was like “WAIT you have a girlfriend and you’re straight…” and he was like no one has to know c’mon do it for me come on it will be okay. And I’m all like no Dan no Dan and then he started to push my head down to his crotch as to do something else and at this point I was screaming “NO STOP NO SOMEONE HELP ME” and Dan gets pissed and started to kick me and punch me. All of sudden the van stops he gets thrown out and gets taserd and I get put into a cop car and rushed to Mansfield Police Department. But I got pulled out and put in a room where a detective came in and asked what happened in the van and so I told him and he was like we have it all on tape and just so you know you did NOTHING wrong but Dan did. He proceeded to ask if I wanted to press charges for aggravated sexual assault and attempted rape and assault and battery and I said no. To this day I do not regret that decision I wasn’t going to like a drunken mistake ruin his life.

Rape does not just affect women; it also affects men as well. You may not know of male rape but trust me it is a thing. It is on the rise as well; I believe that is because more and more victims are coming forward. They no longer feel embarrassed to admit to being rape as it is to believe to be a sign of weakness. You think the number of girls who report a rape is low the number but it is even lower for men. Believe it or not a girl can rape men but the most common form of rape for a male is by another male. One victim stated here that "I want people to understand that it's not about how physically strong you are," he says. "We [men] are conditioned to believe that we cannot be victimized in such a way”

“Rapes on males are underreported by a very wide margin, as compared to sexual assaults on women” If you are victim I believe the best thing you could do is come forward it will make you feel a whole lot better. Here is a shocking statistic about how much people report their assault According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2012, there were 346,830 rapes and sexual assaults, and 72% of these attacks were not reported to authorities. If more people would come forward it would surly help this from happening again. About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. “Male survivors may blame themselves for the assault, believing they were not ‘strong enough’ to fight off the perpetrator.”

There are plenty of people with similar or worst stories than my own. So urge anyone who has been through something like that to come forward because you are not alone. And it makes you feel so better. Now whether if you press charges that is totally up to you do whatever makes you happy. I do think it is best to come forward.