In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Oswego State’s Title IX office and the It’s On Oz interns held a forum with guest speaker Jason Gough on Monday, Oct. 15.

Gough is a meteorologist and sexual assault survivor who travels the state speaking out against sex crimes and whose story was a featured segment on WNYT news out of Albany called “Breaking the Silence.” His story was also featured in a Times Union news article.

Gough detailed a rough childhood coupled with a relative who showered him with attention and gifts. He recounted the abuse lasting three years, stating he could not remember the abuse as a child. However, it began taking a toll on his young life. As a coping mechanism, Gough began pulling out his eyelashes, followed by years of silence and anger. Bullying and lack of teacher intervention escalated his issues. Gough said his “behavior freaked everyone out, but no one looked into it.”

Gough attended college at Auburn University in Alabama, living in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he worked for 16 years before moving back Albany. To his surprise, the move brought back a flood of childhood memories and the stark realization that he had been abused as a boy.

Struggling with the truth, Gough began telling a few family members. He recalled watching actor Tyler Perry share his own story of abuse on T.V.

“It was a real game-changer,” Gough said. “If he could do it, then I could do it.”

Gough also shared his struggle with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts. He referred to the heaviness, “hanging on [him] like a lead vest.” Gough also spoke to the audience about the impact of trauma and effects it can have on one’s future.

“Trauma changes the brain; you’re living the abuse as a kid in an adult mindset,” Gough said. “That is very dangerous because you are saying, ‘Well, why didn’t I do something?’ It’s the core of where the guilt and shame are really dug in.”

Gough covered the outlying distinction of handling of sexual assault cases in the U.S.

“Sexual abuse and sexual assault are treated differently than any other crime,” he said. “Instead of the straightforward investigation and the gathering of evidence, oftentimes the victim is left to ask, ‘What did I do to bring this on?’ after hearing things like, ‘Well, why didn’t you stop it?’ or ‘What were you wearing?’”

Gough went on to discuss disclosure as a very powerful thing, making a reference to toxic masculinity.

“Many men say, ‘I’m a man. I can handle this.’ That’s garbage,” he said. “The cornerstone of everything from the survivor side is that ‘abuse doesn’t happen to them.’ It’s done to them. That’s a humungous distinction. It’s a simple sentence, but you’re talking on the opposite sides of the spectrum in meaning.”

He said that 94 percent of abuse cases are perpetrated by someone the victim knows. He ended the presentation with a Q&A session, imploring the audience to come to victims’ aid.

“If someone discloses to you, hear them,” he said. “Your job is to help them get help however you can.”

For several years now, Gough has been lobbying the passage of the New York State Child Victims Act, which has not yet been approved in the state Senate.

Shea O’Malley | Maria Pericozzi| The Oswegonian