Domestic and sexual violence are topics which are considered by many to be taboo or simply too difficult to discuss. It is largely for this reason that sexual abuse often goes unnoticed or ignored, as the process of coming to terms with one’s abuse can take years. As K. L. Randis shows in her memoir Spilled Milk, she was gaslighted by her father into believing his abuse was a secret she must keep; for years, Randis lived unaware of the fact that her father’s treatment of her was unhealthy. Instead, she believed that all families went through similar experiences. Randis’s lack of knowledge regarding abuse and violence as a child barred her from the truth, as it took until her adolescence, and an observation of a healthy family, to understand that she needed to act. She wrote her memoir in the hopes that those who read it would develop the perspective necessary to prevent, identify, and escape abuse, rather than suffering in silence as she did for so long.

During the 1990s and 2000s while Randis was growing up, a nationwide spike in awareness of domestic and sexual violence led to the creation of several organizations dedicated to preventing these issues, as well as supporting survivors.