People need to get normaler about CSA victims existing in fandom spaces, especially in situations where they’re projecting their CSA onto characters
“Rapefic” and “a non-sexualized horror fic about CSA” or even “a non-explicit fic that just details how a character deals/copes with CSA” are not the same thing.
Yes, a character being coded as a (C)SA victim is a thing. This can either mean it’s written allegorically, or they have experiences very similar to victims. Hallmarks of this include themes of loss of autonomy, difficult relationships to touch/sex, losing a part of one’s body, not being able to remember one’s childhood, etc.
Not only is it okay to headcanon child characters as CSA victims, but you’re never gonna BELIEVE what the C in CSA stands for.
It’s also okay to headcanon characters from fiction mostly targeted at minors as CSA victims. “But what if a child sees it?” If it’s horror, or something else inappropriate for children, it should be filtered out with all other non-appropriate content. Otherwise, it’s fine. There is nothing inherent about themes of CSA that makes it automatically inappropriate. Again, you’re never gonna BELIEVE what the C in CSA stands for — why is representation for parental abuse victims understood as important for abused children, but not representation of child SA victims? Because our trauma is too gross? Very progressive of you.
If you’re about to say something about CSA portrayed in fandom spaces in the future, ask yourself, “If this was portraying psychological or physical abuse instead, would I have my panties in a twist right now?”
By making CSA victims out to be creeps for exploring or talking about our trauma (including through fandom), you are inherently contributing to the culture of shame and silence that silences SA victims.
Representation for CSA victims matters (including and especially those who are still children, because they are made to feel uniquely “ruined” — unlike their peers, who are still “innocent”)
All of this also applies to non-child SA victims and SA headcanons, too, by the way.
(This post is about how (C)SA victims have their real-life experiences treated like porn, and advocates for de-sexualizing the topic of (C)SA. This post is not about porn, erotica, or kink; please do not derail. Thank you.)
