In this episode of Another Bloody Podcast, we talk with Sharon Walker Epps, CEO of the Rowan Center, about the long-lasting impact of sexual violence, why so many survivors wait decades to disclose abuse, and what healing can look like when support comes early.

Sharon shares her own path from Wall Street to advocacy, shaped in part by her daughter’s experience as a survivor, and explains how sexual assault resource centers help people in the immediate aftermath of trauma and years later. We talk about delayed disclosure, the overlap between midlife and first-time disclosure, the hidden financial and emotional costs of getting help, and the services survivors may not realize are available, from crisis counseling and hospital advocacy to long-term therapy, prevention education, and help navigating the legal system.

We also discuss male survivors, victim-blaming, the realities of underreporting, the rise in online exploitation, and why prevention and education matter more than ever. This is a hard but important conversation about trauma, recovery, and the community resources that can help survivors find a way forward.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline, 24/7 confidential support, crisis counseling, and connection to local services across the U.S.: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673); https://www.rainn.org

The Rowan Center
Sexual assault resource agency serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut.
24/7 Hotline: 203-329-2929;
https://www.therowancenter.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24/7 confidential support for anyone experiencing intimate partner violence: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233);
Text: START to 88788; https://www.thehotline.org/

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
CyberTipline to report child exploitation, online enticement, trafficking, or abuse imagery: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678);
https://report.cybertip.org;
https://www.missingkids.org

Thorn
Works to combat online child sexual exploitation: https://www.thorn.org

KidSafe HQ
Digital safety resource created by the Rowan Center to help parents protect children online and offline: https://www.therowancenter.org

National Human Trafficking Hotline, 24/7 confidential support and reporting: 1-888-373-7888;
Text: 233733 (BEFREE); https://humantraffickinghotline.org

Connecticut Office of Victim Services
May provide financial assistance to eligible crime victims: 1-800-822-8428;
https://jud.ct.gov/crimevictim/

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline support for emotional distress or mental health crisis:
Call or text 988
24/7; https://988lifeline.org

CDC: The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, statistics on the frequency of sexual violence: https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/media/pdfs/sexualviolence-brief.pdf

National Sexual Violence Resource Center: https://www.nsvrc.org/

The Grateful Garment (Go shopping for supplies to support SA survivors!): https://gratefulgarment.org/

Find Local Help Anywhere in the U.S. Remember, local rape crisis centers, domestic violence agencies, and child advocacy organizations exist in most communities. RAINN and the National Domestic Violence Hotline can connect you.