Remembering victims of sexual assault

This month marks a milestone for an important annual observance that all too often doesn’t get the level of attention it truly deserves.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and 2021marks the 20th anniversary of its establishment.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of its establishment.

Since 2001, advocates have devoted this month to promoting the goals of awareness and prevention.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center points out that the establishment of an official month devoted to the topic was preceded by decades of work, much of it done during an era when the subject was widely considered taboo and many victims were reluctant to step forward. It wasn’t until the 1970s that America’s first rape crisis center was opened. In subsequent decades, survivors and advocates mobilized to call for legislation and funding that would support survivors, such as the Violence Against Women Act of 1993.

“As long as there have been people who care about making the world a better place, there have been individuals advocating for sexual assault prevention,” the center’s website says. “In the United States, movements for social change and equality began to gain traction in the 1940s and ’50s with the civil rights era. Although open discussion of the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence were limited at these times, activists for equal rights began to challenge the status quo.”

Today advocates hold events, marches, and observances related to sexual violence during April. Though this year’s activities are limited, work continues to raise the visibility of sexual assault and share how it can be prevented, whether that’s through education about healthy sexuality, consent or bystander intervention, according to the resource center.

Progress certainly has been made in the past two decades. There is far greater awareness of how serious a problem sexual assault is in our society. The issue of people being pressured into unwanted sex has gained particular traction in recent years, and rightly so.

Remember that here are resources in our communities that can help victims of sexual violence.

In Montgomery County, the county Health and Human Services Department runs the Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program to assist victims of crimes such as rape/sexual assault, homicide, driving while intoxicated (DWI), car jacking, torture, hate crimes, arson, larceny, robbery, auto theft and vandalism. The program provides information and referral, advocacy, crisis and ongoing counseling, support and compensation services for victims, as well as their families and significant others. Staff also works to educate public about issues related to sexual assault and rape, human trafficking and labor servitude and other issues. In Chester County, support comes from the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County.

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, one in three women and one in six men will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. An average of 293,066 individuals ages 12 or older are victims of sexual assault each year in the U.S. This means a sexual assault occurs every 98 seconds. However, most sexual assaults are not reported to police. The agency estimates that only 230 of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported.

“We know that the majority of victims of sexual assault do not report these crimes to police,” said Lisa Tumbleson, director of education and outreach at the Berks County program, Safe Berks.

We commend victim organizations for adapting to the pandemic and continuing to get vital services to those who need it through efforts such as virtual programs set up with local schools and more communication on social media. And we commend the work of these organizations to recognize and remember victims.

“We are hoping that survivors of sexual assault will hear a message that strikes a note with them,” Tumbleson said, “and that they will take time to breathe and heal.”