PICATINNY ARSENAL N.J. - In a July 18 presentation on trauma and redemption, author and motivational speaker Clark Fredericks spoke to the Picatinny Arsenal workforce about the life altering experiences he endured as a youth, which eventually led to mistakes as an adult.
“From the time I was 6 years old until I was 12, I was sexually assaulted and raped,” Fredericks said as silence fell over the audience.
Researchers have found that at least one in six men have experienced sexual abuse or assault, whether in childhoods or as adults. A 1990 national study of U.S. adults reported that 16 percent of men were sexually abused before the age of 18. Despite the surface statistics, sexual male victimization seems to be unseen or even obscure. Reported evidence has shown that survivors of sexual male violence state that the aura of masculine identify acts as a barrier to reporting the crime, afraid of being labeled weak or homosexual, or losing their identity inside the society.
Fredericks, a native of nearby Stilllwater, New Jersey, was invited to share his story at the request of Alberta Cole, Picatinny Arsenal’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program Coordinator. She had learned that he had spoken at another neighboring U.S. Army installation.
SHARP is the Army’s integrated, proactive effort to end sexual harassment and sexual assault within its ranks. It includes a comprehensive effort to educate leaders and Soldiers about sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Sexual assault is an act in which one person intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence that includes child sexual abuse, groping, rape (forced sexual penetration, no matter how slight), drug facilitated sexual assault, and the torture of the victim in a sexual manner.
Sexual assault is a global public health problem and a strong predictor of negative outcomes and development of risk behaviors for survivors. Sexual assault can lead to post-traumatic stress, substance misuse and suicidal thoughts.
Sentenced in 2015 to five years in prison for the stabbing death of the man he accused of sexually abusing him as a child, Fredericks urged victims to confide in someone about the abuse rather than remaining silent. The man who allegedly performed these immoral acts was a former Boy Scout leader and corrections officer who was never formally convicted of the accusations against him.
“Before I got arrested, I was a completely broken man," Fredericks told the audience. " There was not a single day where I woke up happy."
As a result of his internal battle, Fredericks turned to a life of drugs and alcohol.
After serving four-and-a-half years between the county jail and state prison for second-degree passion/provocation manslaughter, Fredericks was released in 2017 and stepped into a new role: motivational speaker.
According to Fredricks, his abuser began mental and sexual abuse towards him at age 6. The story of what he endured, and the journey it led him on, is both tragic and inspiring. He survived, but only after a life of lost boundaries and deep-rooted pain that caused him to fatally stab his abuser, landing Fredericks in state prison.
While incarcerated, Fredericks received therapy, began healing, and realized he was not alone and shared a past with others.
He is now a motivational speaker, author and advocate who is inspiring others to end their silence.
“Something is compelling me to do this,” Fredericks said. “I used to be deathly afraid of public speaking, and yet when I sat in my prison cell, something came over me. I’m not afraid to talk about any of it now, because talking about it releases the pain. I share my story everywhere I go, and you would not believe the responses I get.”
As an advocate, Fredericks was involved in the movement to change the statute of limitations in his home state of New Jersey. The new law will allow victims of sexual abuse civil recourse beyond the previous two-year window.
If you’re a sexual assault survivor, the assault was not your fault no matter who you were with, how you were dressed or what you were doing. Soldiers, families and Department of the Army civilians who have survived a sexual assault, or want to support someone who has, can call the DOD Safe Helpline at 877-995-5247 or visit https://safehelpline.org/ for more information and resources.
The Picatinny Arsenal SHARP Hotline is 862-210-0296
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