Defining Triumph

By Allison Crowe, See the Triumph Co-Founder

Today I looked up the word, triumph, in the dictionary to see the full definition. Merriam-Webster defines it as a victory, a notable success, or the joy or exultation of a victory or success. This month, we want to share your stories of triumph – either the details of an actual success or victory you have experienced or the feelings of triumph you felt when you had this success.

See the Triumph is our research-based advocacy campaign that started from two studies we conducted about five years ago. One of our earliest participants expressed in her interview that she didn’t understand why people couldn’t see the triumph in overcoming abuse. She spoke of how instead of seeing a survivor as triumphant, our society has a tendency to use more negative, judgmental, and harsh conceptualizations of abuse – even going as far as blaming the victim for the abuse. When our research participant said this, it struck a chord with us. This was exactly what we had been thinking about as we started to look at the stigma involved in overcoming abuse.
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So, needless to say, seeing the triumph is hugely important to us. Viewing survivors of abuse as courageous, resourceful, and triumphant rather than all of the negative stereotypes that are all too common in our world. October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, so it’s especially important to share these triumphs and stories with as many people as we can. Remember we can’t do this without you, so help us help others to see the triumph today!