“What do you mean, bothering you sexually?” Confused, my mother tried to make sense of what I was saying. In Spanish, there is no clear word for “molest.” Molestar in Spanish means “to bother,” molestando means “bothering.” When I tried to explain, my mom asked, “Who is bothering you?” Finally I found the courage to blurt out, “Me están molestando sexualmente.” She forced me to reveal the truth to my mother, who had to sign documents to get me into a program for crime victims that would keep me out of jail. When I told the officer my story, he called in a social worker. “I didn’t mean to hurt him that bad,” I sobbed to the officer. I came to when I felt my face hit the concrete and handcuffs being slapped on my wrist by school police. With each punch I dealt, I saw the faces of the many men who had sexually abused me over the years. I banged his head against a stucco wall, leaving him unconscious and bloodied. In the ninth grade, I blacked out as I went into a rage and beat up another student.
