From Victim to Survivor: Find Your X…but First, Find Your (Wh)Y? | Lauren Book | TEDxOxford

The childhood trauma Lauren Book suffered robbed her of her childhood, but forced her to learn how to find her voice and rebuild her life with purpose…through her TED Talk, she challenges viewers to do what she’s been challenged to do through her journey from victim of physical, sexual and emotional abuse to struggling survivor and now thriver and internationally recognized advocate for change. Along the way, Lauren’s journey has often been three steps forward and ten steps back. Seeking to address and unearth the root cause of behaviors and decisions within her own life, and society’s take on child protection issues and child sexual abuse at large, Lauren explains how she found her driving force – her X – by choosing to face, instead of run from, some of her darkest places…and finding her (wh)Y?

Lauren Book, M.S. Ed, is an internationally respected & renowned child advocate, former classroom teacher & best-selling author. She is also 1 of 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the U.S. today. Armed with the knowledge that 95% of child sexual abuse is preventable through education & awareness, Book is using her personal experience as a vehicle to create change. She created a Pre-K through grade 12 sexual prevention education curriculum used in more than 55,000 classrooms worldwide & has advocated for the passage of laws to protect children. Book has been named a PEOPLE All-Star Among Us, L’Oreal Woman of Worth & is the recipient of a Congressional Medal of Merit for her tireless work to protect childhood. She is an EMMY nominee & Gracie Award-winning producer & has been featured by media outlets including Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, the Huffington Post, USA Today & many more. Book lives in Florida where she serves as founder & CEO of the Lauren’s Kids Foundation.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx