Talk To A Survivor
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Podcast Overview
<p>A survivor's perspective on sexual violence as part of a long cultural story. We examine the forces that increase the risk for violence and the forces that help protect against it. </p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/20/2026
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Recent Episodes
June 4, 2026
Ep 3: Why Some Lives Matter Less — The Origins
ON PATRIARCHY, GENDER, AND THE ORIGINS OF OWNERSHIP Gerda Lerner, The Creation of Patriarchy (Oxford University Press, 1986). Riane Eisler, The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future (Harper & Row, 1987). Paul Farmer, Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor (University of California Press, 2003). Anne Fausto-Sterling, Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality (Basic Books, 2000). ON HUNTER-GATHERER SOCIETIES AND KIN RETALIATION Christopher Boehm, Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior (Harvard University Press, 1999). Chris Knight, Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture (Yale University Press, 1991). ON BABYLONIAN LAW AND VIRGINITY AS PROPERTY Florence Rush, The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children (Prentice Hall, 1980). Rush traces the legal codification of virginity as property through Babylonian, Hebrew, and early Christian law. Gerda Lerner, The Creation of Patriarchy (Oxford University Press, 1986). Covers the Mesopotamian legal codes and the emergence of virginity requirements as property law. ON CLASS, MARRIAGE, AND WOMEN’S LEGAL STANDING Stephanie Coontz, Marriage, A History (Viking, 2005). Linda Gordon, Heroes of Their Own Lives (University of Illinois Press, 1988). ON THE SAVAGE TEMPLATE AND THE COLONIZATION OF IRELAND Nicholas Canny, Making Ireland British, 1580–1650 (Oxford University Press, 2001). David Hackett Fischer, Albion’s Seed (Oxford University Press, 1989). Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (Beacon Press, 2014). ON RACE AS A LEGAL INVENTION AND THE COLONIAL SORTING SYSTEM Edmund Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom (Norton, 1975). Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning (Nation Books, 2016). Barbara Fields and Karen Fields, Racecraft (Verso, 2012). ON INTERSECTIONALITY Kimberlé Crenshaw — TED talk: The Urgency of Intersectionality. Search her name on TED.com. ON ENSLAVED BLACK GIRLS AND INDIGENOUS GIRLS Dorothy Roberts, Killing the Black Body (Pantheon Books, 1997). Harriet A. Washington, Medical Apartheid (Doubleday, 2006). Sarah Deer, The Beginning and End of Rape (University of Minnesota Press, 2015). U.S. Department of the Interior, Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report, Volume II (2023). Available free at bia.gov. HISTORICAL TIMELINE RESOURCE For a timeline companion to this episode: worldhistory.org. Search: Hunter-Gatherers, Neolithic Revolution, Sumerian Woman, Code of Hammurabi, Code of Ur-Nammu.
May 7, 2026
Ep 2: The Architecture of Abuse
This episode traces the architecture of sexual abuse — the legal and religious frameworks that governed girls' bodies from the ancient world through American history. Beginning in ancient Sumer, where the moral recognition of harm to children existed and was written down, the episode moves through Biblical law, Christian canon law, the witch trials, and Hindu child marriage practices — arguing that the erasure of harm to children was not accidental. It was architecture. Built deliberately, sanctioned by the most powerful institutions in the world, and handed forward. Content Warnings This episode contains detailed historical and legal discussion of sexual violence against children. This content is presented in an educational context. Resources for taking care while listening are listed below and on the Talk to a Survivor Substack. Prevention and Support Resources A note on how these resources are organized: Prevention work happens at three levels. Primary prevention stops violence before it happens by addressing root causes. Secondary prevention provides immediate crisis response right after violence occurs. Tertiary prevention supports long-term healing and recovery. Many organizations work across more than one level. These resources serve survivors, secondary survivors (the friends, family members, and loved ones of survivors), and anyone working to stop abuse before it starts. Before or right after sexual violence occurs (primary and secondary prevention): Stop It Now: 1-888-773-8368 or stopitnow.org — Confidential help for people concerned about their own or another person’s sexual interest in children. Darkness to Light: d2l.org — Practical tools for parents, teachers, coaches, and anyone who cares for children. Equips adults with knowledge and skills to prevent abuse or respond effectively to suspected abuse. Free trainings available in many communities. Right after to long after violence occurs (secondary and tertiary prevention): RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE or online.rainn.org — Crisis response for survivors and resources for those who care for them. End Violence Against Women International: startbybelieving.org 1in6 (for male survivors): 1in6.org The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth): thetrevorproject.org StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE DAWN (Deaf Abused Women’s Network): 202-559-5366 (video phone) National Disability Rights Network: ndrn.org NO MORE Global Directory (international): nomoredirectory.org Hot Peach Pages (global orgs in 115+ languages): hotpeachpages.net Hidden Water (restorative justice circles): hiddenwatercircle.org Mirror Memoirs (Black & Indigenous TGNC survivors): mirrormemoirs.org National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life: ncall.us Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative: justice.gov/elderjustice Episode Sources Episode Sources Primary analytical source Florence Rush, The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children (Prentice Hall, 1980) — Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 6, with endnotes providing primary source citations for all legal and historical claims. Chapter 2 (The Bible and the Talmud): Biblical property framework, Talmudic betrothal law, Maimonides, and the Rabbi Akiba folklore. Chapter 3 (The Christians): Canon law, the one flesh principle, confessional abuse, and the witch trials. Chapter 4 (Greek Love): The institutionalized sexual use of boys by adult men in ancient Greek society, including its legal sanction and cultural framing as mentorship and education. Chapter 6 (Child Marriage in India): Hindu sacred obligation, the Kama Sutra material, and Katherine Mayo's documentation. Available free to read at archive.org. Primary legal and religious texts Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Niddah and Tractate Kiddushin — Primary legal text establishing betrothal law for female children, including the three years and one day pr
April 20, 2026
Ep 1: Why Is It Like This?
In this introductory episode, host and survivor DeAnn Tilton asks the question that shaped her life and her work: Why is it like this? She traces her path from a childhood of confusion and harm, to a hospital that treated her but didn't protect her sisters, to a phone call to the police that ended with the words "statute of limitations." Along the way she began to find the answers — not personal ones, but historical, structural, and institutional ones. This podcast is the result of that search. Content note: This episode contains a personal account of the effects of childhood sexual abuse. Support Resources If you or someone you know needs support, the following organizations are here to help. National Crisis Support RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) — National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | Text HOPE to 64673 | https://www.rainn.org 1in6 — Support for men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences: https://1in6.org Community-Specific Support The Trevor Project — Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth: 1-866-488-7386 | Text START to 678678 | https://www.thetrevorproject.org StrongHearts Native Helpline — Culturally specific support for Native American and Alaska Native communities: 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) | https://www.strongheartshelpline.org DAWN (Deaf Abused Women's Network) — Support for Deaf and DeafBlind survivors: Video phone 202-559-5366 | https://www.deafdawn.org Mirror Memoirs — Healing circles for Black and Indigenous gender non-conforming adult survivors of child sexual abuse: https://mirrormemoirs.org Hidden Water — Restorative justice healing circles for those impacted by child sexual abuse: https://hiddenwatercircle.org National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL) — Resources addressing abuse against older adults: https://www.ncall.us NO MORE Global Directory — Sexual assault and domestic violence resources in every UN-recognized country: https://nomore.org Prevention Stop It Now! — Prevention resources and support for anyone concerned about sexual behavior toward children: 1-888-773-8368 | https://www.stopitnow.org Darkness to Light — Prevention education and training for adults who protect children: https://www.d2l.org Find Local Resources National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) — Directory to find your state sexual assault coalition: https://endsexualviolence.org About the Host DeAnn Tilton is the founder of the Talk to a Survivor nonprofit, she trained as a victim advocate (UCASA), and a Darkness to Light facilitator. She holds a BS in psychology and MS in human development and social policy. DeAnn has testified to help expand statutes of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Connect Email: talktoasurvivor@gmail.com Substack: @talktoasurvivor
3 total episodes available
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- What is Talk To A Survivor?
<p>A survivor's perspective on sexual violence as part of a long cultural story. We examine the forces that increase the risk for violence and the forces that help protect against it. </p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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