— from Kim Bryan, Director DVSAS —
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Each week this month there will be a guest article featuring information on this disturbing topic; brought to you by Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services of the San Juan Islands (DVSAS).
Is sexual assault even an issue on our islands? What do the faces of Sexual Assault look like in our Community? Please open your eyes and your heart as you look at…
The tear stained face of a 20-something woman who spent two hours getting ready for a date, only to not remember anything past the after dinner drink until she woke up the next morning, bloody and sore.
Or here’s the angry face of a 10-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted in the bathroom on our local ferry.
Or how about the fear filled face of a 4-year-old girl whose grandfather shattered her heart and her trust when he took advantage of her innocence.
Here’s the hopeless face of a 32 year old woman who is forced to take part in sexual activities with her partner that she continually says no to.
Then there is the 14-year-old girl whose face shows confusion and pain because her teacher broke the law and her heart when he used his position to manipulate her into giving herself away.
Here is the pain filled face of a 26 year old whose same sex partner is using control to keep the sexual assault in their relationship a secret.
One last example is the discouraged face of a 43-year-old man who finally realized the pain he was struggling with all these years was from wounds he suffered as a child at the hands of his religious leader.
Statistics tell us that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men will experience sexual violence victimization sometime in their lifetime. And doesn’t it break your heart to know that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually violated before their 18th birthday. And locally over 95% of children who are sexually assaulted know and trust their abuser.
These numbers and faces are your neighbors, co-workers, family and friends. And there IS something you can do about it!
Educate yourself on the signs and dynamics of abuse. Then find out about the resources available in your community so you can be ready to help. And lastly support the non-profit agencies that are here to change these faces of pain into faces of healing and thriving. Just ask us we’d love to come and educate you and your co-workers, family, friends, civic clubs or worship groups. www.dvsassanjuans.org
If you are a victim of Sexual Assault, it is NOT your fault. We are here to help with 24-hour confidential professional services. Please check out our website and give us a call.
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This is a shockingly plain-spoken summary of some of the aggressions that occur every day both on and off island. Unfortunately it is not a surprising list. I appreciate your bringing this again to the forefront … especially the statistics. An awful but necessary reminder.
It is sobering to learn that such things, about which we are usually unaware, are actually happening in the lives of friends and neighbors whom we think we know. These cases show the critical importance of the remedial and preventive work that DVSAS provides for our community.
Here are 7 people who have been severely wounded for life, who are among those our local DVSAS has been able to help.
In addition to these cases, I would like to know the number of clients DVSAS has provided help for in our county, and whether or not all of those who seek help are able to receive the amount of counseling, intervention, protection, that they need.
Um, I gotta ask: Were all of these seven examples cases from San Juan County, or are they a compendium of stories generated elsewhere?
They’ve been presented with an implication that they are local cases, but I bet that they’re not. If they were truly all local cases, the implication would’ve been a statement of fact instead.