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Sexual abuse

Breaking the Silence: Understanding Sexual Assault and the Importance of Support

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a timely reminder of the need to address the widespread issue of sexual assault. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, this month is dedicated to educating and talking about the issue. Two organizations, Centre Safe and the Relationship Violence Outreach, Intervention and Community Education Center (R-VOICE), are working to provide support to survivors of sexual assault in the State College, Pa., area. Centre Safe assists around 200 sexual assault survivors per year, while R-VOICE helps hundreds of students navigate the university's legal process and provides resources for healing.

Key Takeaways:

  • Centre Safe and R-VOICE take a "drive the bus" approach, where the survivor leads the conversation, and professionals offer support and guidance as needed.
  • Survivors may experience a range of reactions after a sexual assault, including feeling shut down, angry, crying, or a mixture of all three.
  • Feeling shame or blaming oneself is a common response to sexual trauma, and it's essential to normalize and validate these emotions.
  • Consent is a critical aspect of healthy relationships, and perpetrators need to understand that it's not about them; both parties must have mutual, informed, enthusiastic consent.
  • Healing is not an easy or one-size-fits-all process, but the blame lies with the perpetrator.
  • Survivors have the right to do what they want, such as going out drinking or wearing what they want; these actions do not give anyone the right to assault them.
  • Self-blame can stem from initially consenting to sexual activity but changing one's mind or not being in control of the situation.

Statistics:

  • Centre Safe assists around 200 sexual assault survivors per year.
  • R-VOICE helps hundreds of students navigate the university's legal process and provides resources for healing.
  • The National Sexual Violence Resource Center notes that April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
  • 1,500-2,000 calls are made to Centre Safe's 24-hour hotline about sexual crimes, making it one of the "top" crimes people call to talk about.

Sources:

  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center
  • Jennifer Pencek, executive director of Centre Safe
  • Yvette Willson, director of the Relationship Violence Outreach, Intervention and Community Education Center (R-VOICE)
  • Mary Ohashi, survivor advocate and case manager at R-VOICE

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