April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month – CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING EVENTS
If you follow the headlines, you know that rape and other forms of sexual abuse/assault occur all too often. It occurs in our communities, in homes, in schools and to people who should have been safe from it, as many high profile cases demonstrated this past year. It painfully illustrates the fact that 90% of victims are assaulted by someone they know and trust. This reality can be overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that sexual assault can be prevented and as members of these communities, we can help.
HelpLine of Delaware & Morrow Counties has worked for years addressing rape and sexual assault by supporting victims and their families, providing prevention programs in schools, and educating adults about what they can do to protect children. National organizations such as Darkness to Light and RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) also partner with us to end sexual assault by preventing perpetrators, helping victims, informing the public, and mobilizing communities. There are ways for all of us to Join the Movement ©
- Start by believing. If you or someone you know has been sexually assault, believe them! HelpLine offers many survivor resources and a 24/7 crisis hotline – call 740.369.3316 or 419.947.2520 or 1.800.684.2324. HelpLine is pleased to partner with the Start By Believing campaign this, for more information and resources visit startbybelieving.org.
- Get informed. Go to d2l.org or www.RAINN.org to get educated about child sexual abuse. Attend community prevention programs and show your support at awareness events. Encourage an environment where information about preventing sexual assault is the norm.
- Check out The 5 Steps to create safer environments for children from Darkness to Light.
- Get involved. Attend one of the many upcoming Sexual Assault Awareness Month events throughout April visit helplinedelmor.org for the full schedule. Call Nancy at 740.363.1835 for more information or email violenceprevention@helplinedelmor.org
- Protect our kids. Learn about Stewards of Children. Go to d2l.org to take it online. Mobilize your community by sponsoring a Stewards of Children training in your neighborhood, workplace, faith-based organization, or youth serving agency.
“We find in many cases of sexual abuse or rape a perpetrator typically doesn’t offend against one person and, when a case is brought forward, we may hear from more people. Even if we don’t hear of more people, we understand that many people are affected by this type of crime. The issue of sexual assault is a complex one, that causes big ripples in our community, and many people have already experienced it. We want everyone in our community to know we have support and resources available whether they have recently experienced the assault or if it happened years ago.” says Sue Hanson, HelpLine’s Executive Director.
We invite our communities to join us in the month’s campaign and take action by attending one or more events to raise awareness, for a complete schedule CLICK HERE.
