All stories originally appeared in Youth Communication magazines:
YCteen, which is written by New York City public high school students, and
Represent which is written by and for youth in foster care.
Marreka gets the message young that her body is for adults to use. Molested at age 5, and trafficked as a young teen, she finally finds love and support at Gateways and GEMS.
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The author endures a sexual assault when she's 8, and some of her family blames her. She slowly learns who she should trust and benefits from opening up to the right people.
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Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, Erica learns to manage her emotions through therapy and medication.
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