Sexual Assault Awareness

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Chances are you know a sexual assault survivor. Sexual violence affects millions of people every year. Yes, even right here in our community. During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we intentionally focus on increasing knowledge and sharing local resources, like our 24-hour Sexual Assault Helpline: 863.413.2707. Will you help spread the word throughout April?

sad woman tear running down face

About Sexual Assault

According to the CDC, sexual violence is sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given. It is a serious public health problem in the United States that profoundly impacts lifelong health, opportunity, and well-being.

This year during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) we are focusing on prevention. Help our Rape Recovery Program increase awareness during SAAM:

Follow and share posts from the Victim Services Facebook page and Instagram account
Start meaningful discussions with friends and family.
Participate in Wear Teal Day, Denim Day and the Sexual Violence Community Convening.

Thursday, April 18th | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | Bartow Civic Center

Sexual Violence Community Convening

Please join us Thursday, April 18th at the Bartow Civic Center, for a community conference on sexual violence. This free event will provide information on how we as a community can support survivors, and resources including how to access help should you or someone you know need it.

Since lunch will be provided, registration is required.

Wednesday, April 24th | All Day

Wear Denim Day

Join Peace River Center Victim Services on Denim Day, April 24 from 10 am to 5 pm for Messages of Hope at any Black & Brew location. Denim Day is an international day to stand with survivors of sexual assault. Join us at any Black & Brew location to learn more about our free and confidential services, plus help us complete our denim quilt by sharing an inspirational message for sexual assault survivors. Special thanks to Black & Brew for partnering with us on this important awareness event.

You can also show your support from anywhere by uploading a photo to social media of you wearing denim and tag #DenimDay2024PRC, or email it to us at CommunityRelations@peacerivercenter.org. Be sure to let your friends know and invite others by sharing our Facebook event.

What is Denim Day?

Denim Day is a campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, what started as a local campaign to bring awareness to victim blaming and destructive myths that surround sexual violence has grown into a movement. As the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history, Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.

24-Hour Support

Did you know our advocates are available 24 hours a day to support sexual assault survivors? Within one hour of receiving a call, our trained advocate is at the hospital, sitting beside the survivor as she or he navigates this traumatic experience. We provide emotional support, a clothing kit, help navigating legal matters, and more.

Sexual Assault Helpline: 863.413.2707

View our Victim Services

Advocate Supporting Young Female Survivor

Sexual violence is more common than you think

Every 68 Seconds, an American is Sexually Assaulted. While we’re making progress to end sexual violence, even today, only 25 out of every 1,000 rapists will end up in prison (RAINN).

The majority of sexual violence (SV) victims are under 30 (RAINN)
54% of SV victims are age 18 to 24 (RAINN)
1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape (RAINN)
82% of all juvenile victims are female (RAINN)
90% of children who are victims know their abuser (US Dept of Human & Health Services)
30% of children are abused by family members (US Dept of Human & Health Services)

About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime (RAINN)
Almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during his lifetime (CDC)
Transgender students are at higher risk for sexual violence (RAINN)
Sexual violence is costly. Recent estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at $122,461 per survivor, including medical costs, lost productivity, criminal justice activities, and other costs (CDC)

As RAINN notes, it’s not always easy to know what to say when someone tells you they’ve been sexually assaulted, especially if they are a friend or family member. For a survivor, disclosing to someone they care about can be very difficult, so we encourage you to be as supportive and non-judgemental as possible.

Often listening and providing resources such as our 24-hour helpline are the best ways to support a survivor.

Check out more of RAINN’s tips for talking with survivors below.

I believe you.

"It took a lot of courage to tell me about this.” It can be extremely difficult for survivors to come forward and share their stories. They may feel ashamed or worried they’ll be blamed. The best thing you can do is to believe them.

It’s not your fault.

"You didn’t do anything to deserve this." Survivors may blame themselves, especially if they know the perpetrator personally. Remind the survivor, maybe even more than once, that they are not to blame.

Supportive male friend helping female friend

You are not alone.

"I care about you and am here to listen or help in any way I can." Let the survivor know that you are there for them and willing to listen if they are comfortable sharing it. Remind them about Peace River Center's services that can support them as they heal from the experience.

Sorry it happened.

"This shouldn’t have happened to you.” Acknowledge the experience has affected their life. Phrases like “This must be really tough for you,” and, “I’m so glad you are sharing this with me,” help to communicate empathy.

Continued Support

Every sexual assault survivor’s journey to healing is different. Having support through Peace River Center Victim Services can help, so try to encourage your friend to seek out our free counseling, but remember the choice is always theirs to make. According to RAINN.org, here are some additional ways you can support a loved one who survived the trauma of sexual assault:

Avoid judgment. Make sure you don’t ask accusing questions like “What were you wearing?” or “Had you been drinking?” Remember no matter what someone wears, sexual assault is never their fault. Consent cannot be given if someone is even slightly intoxicated, sexual assault is never the survivor’s fault.
Be patient and understanding. It can be difficult to watch a survivor struggle with the effects of sexual assault for an extended period of time. Avoid phrases that suggest they’re taking too long to recover such as, “You’ve been acting like this for a while now,” or “How much longer will you feel this way?”
Check in periodically. The event may have happened a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean the pain is gone. Check in with the survivor to remind them you still care about their well-being and believe their story. Survivors may also be triggered by something in the media or an experience. Remind the survivor professional support is available through Peace River Center Victim Services.
You can also benefit from our services. Our Rape Recovery Program provides support for friends and family members of sexual assault survivors too. You can call our office line 863.413.2708 and speak with a compassionate advocate. You can ask us about advice on medical care and laws surrounding sexual assault. In addition to encouraging the survivor to practice good self-care during this difficult time, you should also make sure you’re taking time for yourself.

Support Survivors

ways to help prevent sexual violence from CDC

You can prevent sexual assault by safely intervening in a situation. According to RAINN, an active bystander is someone who interrupts a potentially harmful situation, especially when it comes to sexual violence.

Oftentimes situations happen around us that call us for step up and safely interfere as an active bystander. Remember the most important part of being an active bystander is that it should never put your own safety at risk.

If you can remember the three D’s to be an effective and safe active bystander:

Distract

Divert their attention. The purpose of distraction is to interrupt the incident, safely. This gives the individual at risk an opportunity to safely exit the potentially dangerous situation. Try creating a distraction as early as possible.

Example: If you’re at a bar and see an intoxicated female without any friends, ask if she can come to the bathroom so you can borrow a personal hygiene product. Once she’s alone, ask if she needs help. Another option, pretend you’ve dropped a piece of jewelry to see if she can help you find it, “search for it” further away from the aggressor to ask if she needs help.

Delegate

Sometimes the safest way to intervene is by having an authority figure like a bartender, bouncer, or security guard step in to help. This option will allow you to have others on your side and can offer additional safety from the perpetrator. Another approach would be to enlist support from the at-risk individual’s friends. Perhaps they just are not aware their friend is in trouble. “Your friend looks like they’ve had a lot to drink. Can you check on them?”

When it comes to expressing concern, sometimes there is power in numbers. You may also want to ask someone to come with you to approach the person at risk.
“Girls’ trip to the bathroom, let’s go!”

Direct

If someone within your group is using sexist language or being too pushy, and you feel you can safely and comfortably do so, address them directly. “Hey, that joke was demeaning to women and not funny” or “He said he didn’t want to leave with you, back off.”

If you’re able to get the at-risk individual away from the aggressor, you can directly ask them if they need help. You can ask, “Do you need help?” or “Would you like me to stay with you?” or “Would you like to get out of here and go somewhere safe?”

If the situation escalates and involves imminent danger, the best intervention is to call 9-1-1. When calling, be prepared to identify yourself, your location, and the nature of the situation. Be sure to stay present when help arrives and near the individual who is impaired or who has been harmed. Remain calm and supportive.

After experiencing a potentially risky situation, the individual may feel nervous or unsure about what to do next. Offer them appropriate resources and ask how you can support them. Maybe they want you and your friends to accompany them to their destination or call a ride-share. You can also share our 24-hour Sexual Assault Helpline, 863.413.2707. Even if they avoided an incident, it’s good for them to be aware of this free and confidential community resource.

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You Are Not Alone. Get Help Today!

Emotional Support & Crisis Line: 863.519.3744

Domestic Violence Crisis Hardee/Highlands County: 863.386.1167

Domestic Violence Polk County: 863.413.2700

Sexual Assault Crisis Line: 863.413.2707

You Are Not Alone.
Get Help Today!

Emotional Support & Crisis Line: 863.519.3744

Domestic Violence Crisis Hardee/Highlands County: 863.386.1167

Domestic Violence Polk County: 863.413.2700

Sexual Assault Crisis Line: 863.413.2707

Sexual Assault Awareness

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

About Sexual Assault

Thursday, April 18th | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | Bartow Civic Center

Sexual Violence Community Convening

Wednesday, April 24th | All Day

Wear Denim Day

What is Denim Day?

24-Hour Support

Sexual violence is more common than you think

Understanding Consent

Continued Support

Distract

Delegate

Direct

You can make a difference.

You can make a difference.

Sign up for updates!

You Are Not Alone. Get Help Today!

You Are Not Alone. Get Help Today!

You Are Not Alone.
Get Help Today!