What is Sexual Violence?

Hello and Happy Spring! I hope you are doing ok in midst of the Covid-19 social distancing. I am happy to provide support if you are struggling with social distancing or Covid-19 (just reply to this email), but today's email will cover a different topic. (I am also posting things regarding Covid-19 on my Facebook page that might be helpful). 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and I want to provide some information about what sexual violence is and its prevalence. I also find this topic important right now because violence within homes is increasing recently as stress increases and as people are being required to stay home for long periods of time and cannot escape their abuser.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual violence as "any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person's sexuality, using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work." The WHO's definition includes rape. Rape is defined as physically forced or coerced penetration of the vagina or anus by a penis, other body part, or object. 

Why is it important to talk about sexual violence and rape? 

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)

- Someone is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds
- 1 in 6 women have been the victim of rape or attempted rape
- 1 out of every 10 victims of rape is male
- Ages 12-34 are at the highest risk for rape and sexual assault
- PTSD symptoms occur in 94% of women who have been raped 

This is an issue that affects everyone. Even if you personally haven't been a victim of sexual violence, you know someone who has been.

So what can we do? The first step is always awareness. The next step is teaching about consent. What consent is, and what it looks like when consent hasn't been given. RAINN does a great job of explaining what consent is on their webpage.

Another step is bringing awareness to someone when they do something that wasn't ok- this is especially true if you see it happening to someone else who isn't able to say something for themselves. One of the best forms of this is when a man calls another man out on his harassing or assaultive behaviors (think about it in terms of when a guy "cat calls" a woman and there are other men around, or when a guy says something derogatory about a woman and men nearby can hear it as just a couple examples).  

Usually there are several events going on in April to support victims of sexual violence. Due to social distancing, none of those will be occurring this year. But that doesn't mean we can't do something to decrease the prevalence of sexual violence by doing the ideas I have listed above.  

And if you know someone who is struggling with sexual violence (currently or in the past), let them know it is ok to get help. There are therapists like me who specialize in sexual violence trauma and are wanting to help survivors move forward so they can feel whole again.

Thanks for reading and being in connection with me,

Steph