Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2017

by Lia Holbrook

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and this year’s campaign theme is “Engaging New Voices.” We’re calling on new voices to join us in preventing sexual violence and become advocates for change in their community.

From believing survivors, to modeling healthy behavior, to addressing inappropriate conduct, we all have a role to play in preventing sexual violence. It is critical that new voices are brought into the mix to expand prevention efforts and help the next generation foster attitudes that promote healthy relationships, equality, and respect.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and impacts every person in this community. Nearly one in five women and one in 71 men are victims of sexual assault (Black et al., 2011). Child sexual abuse prevention must be a priority to confront the reality that one in six boys and one in four girls will experience a sexual assault before age 18 (Dube et al., 2005).  Young people experience heightened rates of sexual violence, and youth ages 12-17 were 2.5 times as likely to be victims of rape or sexual assault (Snyder & Sickmund, 2006).

Let’s take a moment to address a few of the misconceptions about sexual violence and assault.  Sexual assault is a term that refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. This may include: child sexual abuse and incest, intimate partner/marital sexual assault, unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation & trafficking, showing one’s genitals or naked body to other(s) without consent, masturbating in public, and watching someone in a private act without their knowledge or permission. Contrary to media images of sexual assault, the majority of perpetrators are someone known to the victim.  Someone known to the victim, such as in the case of intimate partner sexual violence or acquaintance rape, commit approximately seven out of 10 sexual assaults. (Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2010-2014 (2015).  Perpetrators of acquaintance rape might be a date, classmate, coworker, neighbor, a friend’s significant other, or any number of different roles. It’s important to remember that dating, instances of past intimacy, or other acts like kissing do not give someone consent for increased or continued sexual contact.

We all have a role to play in preventing sexual violence in our community. Our actions, big and small, have a ripple effect on those we teach, guide, and influence. From modeling healthy behavior, to addressing inappropriate conduct, everyone can make a difference.

Changing beliefs that contribute to sexual violence starts with believing survivors of sexual violence when they share their stories. Seemingly small actions like this make a critical impact. Silence is the enemy when it comes to preventing sexual assault.  Use Sexual Assault Awareness Month as an opportunity to spread the word and discuss this critical issue. Here are some other important ways that you can help prevent sexual assaults in our community:

• Be an active bystander! Intervene to stop problematic and disrespectful behavior when you see it;
• Help attack the root causes of sexual assault. Promote and model healthy attitudes, behaviors and relationships;
• Believe survivors and assist them in finding resources like Project Sanctuary. Project Sanctuary provides free services to sexual assault survivors throughout the county at our Fort Bragg, Ukiah, Laytonville and Point Arena offices. Call 961-1507 (coast) or 462-9196 (inland) for more information about our hours of operation. Project Sanctuary provides confidential crisis counseling, individual counseling, support groups, information/referrals, legal advocacy, and shelter services to survivors. Learn more about Project Sanctuary by visiting projectsanctuary.org

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Project Sanctuary, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit organization with the mission to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault in Mendocino County through advocacy, crisis response, community collaboration, education, and shelter. Lia Holbrook is the Coast Services Director at Project Sanctuary in Fort Bragg.