Q: What freedom have you experienced writing about your assault? “Taking the blame was a coping mechanism. If I hadn't felt I bore some responsibility, I would have felt too powerless to go on at all. My father had warned me about the men in the service and how they would try to take advantage of me. I knew better and though taking the blame hurt me in the long run, that night, that following early morning I needed to feel as if I had some control.” -RD