April 2022

Sexual Assault Awareness

Sexual assault happens in all populations including inmates, military, the general public, children, men, and women. According to rainn.org, approximately 55% of all sexual assaults happen near or within the victim’s home.

Did You Know?

Consent
To have consent, both parties must have a full understanding of what is about to happen. Both parties need to be at least 16 years of age in the state of Georgia. The consenting parties must be of equal developmental and intellectual levels. The requesting party must outline the expectations of the event in a way the consenting party is able to understand exactly what is going to happen. The consenting party must know that they may say no or change their mind at anytime without fear of repercussions.

Hotlines, Chatlines, and Information
You have the ability to reach out for support via calling, online referrals, or texting. Below are some numbers and emails you can reach out to if you have been sexually assaulted:
Georgia Crisis and Access Line: call (800) 715-4225.
24/7 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741-741.
National Sexual Assault Hotline: call (800) 656-4673 or chat online at https://hotline.rainn.org/online for English and https://hotline.rainn.org/es for Spanish.
Visit the Georgia Victim Legal Assistance Network for more resources and information for various issues related to mental health.
Visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for more information and to get help.

Delayed/Not Reporting
There are many reasons why someone may delay or neglect to report an instance of sexual assault. Often, delayed reporting is seen in children and adolescents. This is because they are more likely to know and have a personal relationship with their offender, Kilpatrick, Saunders & Smith (2003) mention this is the case approximately 74% of the time. Research also shows that about 21% of sexual assault on a child or adolescent is committed by a family member.
Victims may also experience a great deal of confusion, shame, guilt, fear of retaliation from the offender, distrust for law enforcement, and fear of not being believed. All of these thoughts and beliefs become barriers to reporting a sexual assault.

Local Events and Support

Friday April 22, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Children’s Center for Hope and Healing Annual Wine Tasting
The Cottage Vineyard & Winery, Cleveland GA

Sign up for a Support Group with Rape Response if you are in Dawson, Habersham, Hall, Forsyth, Lumpkin, or White County.