April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is sexual assault month. All to often we hear about this terrible crime occurring but what exactly does it include??

Sexual Abuse is considered any sexual act without consent no matter who the abuser is. 




Sexual Assault occurs when someone is forced by another person using threats or force.

Date Rape occurs when unwanted intercourse by someone the victim knows
Many times sexual assault and rape occur because the person wants to gain power over the victim.

Actions that are included under Sexual Abuse

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  Sexual Harassment includes behavior that makes your school, work, or home environment intimidating, hostile or offensive. Sexual harassment occurs when someone offers unwanted sexual remarks, behavior or touching. Both male and females can be accused of sexual harassment.

• Telling unwanted sexual stories or jokes
• Making sexual remarks about a person’s clothing & the way it fits on the person’s body
• Staring at a person’s body or body parts 
• Continuously asking a person out or sending gifts, s, or love notes after they ask you to stop
• Touching, patting, or pinching someone in a sexual way 
• Getting too close to or brushing up against someone 
• Offering something a person needs in return for sex.

If you feel you are being sexually harassed then you should tell the harasser to stop and report the harassment to someone in charge

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS ILLEGAL & YOU CAN BE PROSECUTED!

Knowing how to protect yourself from sexual abuse and violence is something we all need to know Some of the first things you can do to protect yourself are:

• Keep windows/doors locked.
• -Don’t open doors for strangers.
• -Make sure you know neighbors.
• -Don’t be out alone, night
• -Be alert.
• -If you feel threatened yell & run to people
• -Avoid hostile or disrespectful people.
• -Be careful about meeting people from the Internet.

All to often people that are sexual assaulted refuse to report the event. Some of these reasons include:

• they Know their attacker
• Want to forget it happened.
• Are embarrassed
• Feel guilty & blame themselves
• Are afraid of their attacker, family, friends, &/or partners

If you are sexually assaulted you should

• Get away from further harm.
• Call 911 & then call family &/or a friend
• Don’t change your clothes or take a shower!
• Go to a hospital or a police station before going anywhere else.
• Seek therapy or counseling.

Not reporting or reporting later can have consequences 

• You can’t seek medical care.
• If it is not reported, it can happen to someone else.
• It will be hard to prove you were assaulted.

Those that are sexually assaulted say that in many ways their lives are never the same. Often they have been through a very physical and emotional event full of trauma Because of the event they may also suffered injuries, bruises, cuts and / or broken bones. The fear of a possible pregnancy or STD is also a major concern. In the end many that suffer through a sexual assault will later be classified as having PSD.


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