April is here!!! That means it is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the kick off to The Haven Sexual Assault Awareness Events. How much do you really know about rape and sexual abuse? Rape is a form of sexual assault, but not all sexual assault is rape. The term rape is often used as a legal definition to specifically include sexual penetration without consent. Georgia defines rape as "carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will". Sexual assault is defines as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim".
•Sexual Harassment –Any unwanted regarding sexual gratification, favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature
•Sexual Assault –A spectrum of sexual violence including any sexual contact or activity without consent
•Rape –Any penetration vaginal with done without consent.
Consent – YES MEANS YES!
Voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. In other words, it means communicating yes on your own terms. However consent cannot be obtained from minors or individuals whom are mentally impaired, including impairment by intoxication through drugs or alcohol.
“NO MEANS NO”
This is an adequate statement, but there are many other ways to communicate “No.”
-Freezing up, saying you’re tired, crying, or pulling away are a few examples of ways to communicate no
-A person doesn’t have to yell no, scream, kick, or bite for it to be exceedingly clear that they don’t want to engage in sexual activity.
-Consent is NOT implied by silence, previous sexual activity, clothing or flirting.
The absence of Yes is a No!
Statistics . . . that may surprise you
-In the United States, it is estimated that someone is sexually assaulted every 2.5 minutes.
-1 out of every 4 women and 1 out of every 6 men will be victim of sexual assault during their lifetime.
-80-90% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by individuals known to the survivor.
-17.7 million women in the United States have been the victim of a rape or attempted rape at some point in their lives.
In 2017 The Haven served 109 new victims of sexual assault!
What to do if you need help...
•Call 911 IMMEDIATELY if you require medical attention.
•The incident is reported through 911 Center and forwarded to a law enforcement agency. Law enforcement will request 911 to contact The Haven Sexual Assault Center. Patrol is dispatched to the victim….OR
•CALL The Haven 24hr emergency hotline (229)244-1765 OR 1800-33-HAVEN
•The crisis line will ask for some information, then they will contact an advocate to come meet with you or discuss your options over the phone.
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•If possible, DO NOT
–Eat, drink, urinate, bathe, shower, douche, or change clothes
–If you have already changed clothes since the assault, try to collect the clothes you were wearing for evidence collection.
Stay tuned or Visit The Haven's Facebook page for upcoming events.