West Virginia Army National Guard Sgt. First Class Michael Cochran is a survivor of sexual abuse as a child. Today, he is unashamedly outspoken about his journey and why it’s important to have men speaking openly and starting conversations about what many consider a difficult topic.
Cochran was abused by a family member from ages six to nine years old, but didn’t tell a living soul for decades. When he reenlisted in the Army National Guard and learned abut the victim advocacy program during a yearly Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program, he decided becoming an advocate was important.
The first time Cochran included his personal experience during a training session he was leading, he received a standing ovation. He had shared what had happened to him as a child and how it affected his behavior as an adult and his decision making process as a young man and Soldier. He shared with the audience at the time the shame that he felt that he wrongly carried. Following the training a man came up to him and shared that he had also been assaulted as a kid.
“That was the first time he had told anybody,” Cochran said. “So I started incorporating my story in my trainings. Right here at Camp Dawson, I’ve probably had seven guys tell me they were molested when they were a kid.”
Cochran attended the Master Resilience Training (MRT) program at Ft. Jackson in 2013, and he had two Soldiers there tell him about their abuse. The average had been about one in 15.
“So that’s why I do this,” Cochran said. “It’s like a relief. They’ve never been able to tell anybody and since I was a man, it helped. All because I was able to get up in front of everybody and do it.”
Once Cochran began telling his story, he has continued to get louder and louder. For 2018’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, he is riding his mountain bike more than 350 miles from Point State Park, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
“I figure if someone knows my story, if someone sees me out here doing it and talks about it, that’s my little part,” he said.
While the ride is self-supporting, Cochran invites anyone and everyone to ride either the entire route or just sections - even a few miles will be welcome to show support and help keep the conversation going.
Last year, 2017, was the first time he organized this ride. He said he would like it to grow each year as more and more Guard members, families and communities release the stigma that can surround male sexual abuse and assault.
The Department of Defense Safe Helpline is working to reach out to men who wish to remain anonymous but crave assistance or answers. Staff work 24/7 on multiple communications platforms and understand that it can be difficult for men to ask for information because they are concerned about how others will respond. According to the Safe Hotline, the staff are there to provide confidential and anonymous support and resources to help. Because Safe Helpline is an anonymous resource not connected to any base/installation, men can feel confident that their experiences and identity will not be shared with anyone in their chain of command.
Safe Helpline staff are available 24/7 worldwide at www.safehelpline.org or by telephone at 877-995-5247 and are specially trained to help men who have experienced unwanted sexual contact or sexual assault.
“Sometimes men find it easier to talk anonymously to a professional Safe Helpline staffer first rather than a loved one,” according to staff. “This allows an individual to speak to someone who is impartial and trained to listen and help. Many men find that talking to Safe Helpline staff makes it easier to sort out their experience and begin to understand and deal with it emotionally before they tell family and friends.
For more information or to reach Cochran, call 304-288-0701, email mucochran@gmail.com, or visit http://mikecochran.us/ or the Bicycle for a Cause Facebook page.