Original Release Date: January 14, 2022
In episode two of our Perspectives on At-Home Sexual Assault Kits season, Just Science sat down with Monica Gardner, an advocate, a former rape crisis center team advocate, and a survivor of sexual abuse as a child and as an adult, to discuss at-home sexual assault kits from a survivor's perspective.
Monica Gardner knows firsthand that healing isn't linear -- which is why, as a survivor herself, she made the decision to support and empower others who have experienced sexual violence. Listen along as she candidly shares her struggle with PTSD, the importance of therapy during the healing process, and her nuanced perspective on at-home kits in this episode of Just Science.
This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
View or download the episode transcript here:
Transcript
Guest Biography
Monica Gardner is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, adulthood sexual assault, and rape. She has volunteered as a Rape Crisis Team Advocate and regularly works within her circle of influence to educate about sexual assault and to advocate for survivors. Monica grew up in Massachusetts and has since lived all over the United States. She received a Bachelor's degree in English as well as an Intercultural Peacebuilding Certificate from Brigham Young University - Hawaii. She went on to graduate with a Juris Doctor from J. Reuben Clark Law School in 2015, focusing on conflict resolution and other disciplines that have prepared her to one day start her own non-profit. Her daily focus is to reach out to others who have had similar experiences and try to provide relief. Currently, she is working on a book and materials that she can use to teach abuse survivors about balancing and managing self-care and their relationships with others.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast episode are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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