Start By Believing: Tim Mousseau

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Retaking Our Story: Reframing the Sexual Assault Conversation 

We are thrilled to virtually welcome Tim Mousseau as part of Start By Believing and the Leadership Speaker Series. It only took one letter to redefine Tim’s life forever. With a photograph and a few accompanying words, Tim was faced with the evidence of an experience he had no memory of – he discovered he was a victim of sexual assault. Not only did he have to come to grips with this new reality, but he also had to face the nightmare of being stalked and blackmailed. The next two years of his life were a struggle of mixed emotions and coping mechanisms, but over time he came to realize something—this was his story to tell, and by telling it, he could take ownership of it. 

After years of silence, Tim wrote about his experience, and thousands read about his secret. He wasn’t prepared for the response – he heard back from hundreds. By opening up the conversation on this sensitive topic, he discovered he had the power to redefine his outlook and made it his mission to empower others to do the same. 

In this keynote, Tim leads a deep and vulnerable conversation on the delicate topic of sexual assault drawing from his experiences and countless interactions with others in support groups. Why is an underlying culture of shame implicit, and how can it be stopped? Tim will help your communities understand the background information needed to facilitate healthy conversations on sexual assault, resources to assist in the survivor recovery process, and how the power of our personal and community stories can be utilized in prevention. Students will leave feeling prepared to create a culture of compassion while realistically facing an issue prevalent on campuses across the country. 

Learning Outcomes 

As a result of attending this program, students will learn: 

• how to recognize the emotional, physical, and psychological impacts of sexual assault, 
• how to associate the facts behind sexual assault on college campuses with stories that give a face to these figures, 
• how to understand the difference between cultures of shame and cultures of acceptance when creating safe environments for conversations about sexual assault, 

• how to empower a supportive campus culture focused on reducing sexual assault, promoting healthy prevention, and efficient use of resources, and 
• the definition and different terms and actions involved with sexual assault, how these can impact an individual, and how to be prepared to address these issues within their community.