April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a nationally recognized month created to bring awareness to the social, criminal, physical, and mental health issues that rape and sexual assault pose in society.
Rape and sexual assault can happen at any time but April is used to highlight survivors and the experiences they have been through.
Sexual violence refers to sexual activity where consent is not obtained or freely given. It occurs any time a person is forced, coerced or manipulated into any unwanted sexual activity. The range of sexual violence includes rape, sexual assault, incest, sexual exploitation, unwanted or inappropriate sexual contact, sexual harassment, exposure, threats, stalking/cyberstalking and peeping.
One in five women will experience sexual assault through the course of their lifetime, and more than 40% of women in the United States have encountered some form of sexual violence. Around 20% of American males have also been victimized by sexual violence. Of that 20%, 25% were under the age of 10.
Less than 20% of sexual assaults are actually reported. There are many reasons why a survivor never reports sexual assault; over 70% is because the survivor knew their perpetrator
“This is not typically a stranger danger crime. Although that does happen and had happened in this community, the good majority of victims knew their perpetrator,” Executive Director of Citizens Against Spouse Abuse Lori Haney said. “So there is potentially a safety issue on why they do not report. It’s traumatizing, it’s retriggering to have to retell your story.”
Haney added that some victims aren’t ready to talk about it, many taking years to finally confront the trauma. It depends on the individual and any response to how they handle their assault is best for them.
Ninety-four percent of sexual assault survivors experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder during the first two weeks after the assault.
“If individuals in this community are victims of domestic and sexual violence and they want help knowing what their options are, what resources are available to them, what service they can utilize, please call CASA,” Haney said.
Haney leads a large team at CASA, a local nonprofit providing services to survivors of domestic and sexual assault. The organization serves children, women and men who are experiencing immediate danger or dealing with the long-lasting effects of their abusive situations.
CASA helps victims of sexual assault in a variety of ways, including a free sexual assault exam at Bothwell Regional Health Center Emergency Room. The exam is done to secure the health and safety of a victim and if the victim decides to report the assault, they will have evidence from the exam.
Victims can also have an advocate present during the exam and local law enforcement can be present if the victim would like to make a statement.
The Sedalia Police Department and the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office refer survivors to CASA for assistance.
Officers will also call CASA to have an advocate present on the scene of a situation. Each law enforcement officer has a scannable QR code in their car, so if they encounter a domestic situation, they can scan the code and pull up CASA resources for the person to utilize.
Haney added that the partnership between CASA and local law enforcement allows both to be experts in their field.
“Their primary focus is to investigate a crime and if there is a perpetrator and our primary focus is to make sure that the victim has all the resources they need in response to that crime,” Haney said.
Director of Program Administration April Provance added that there are many services at CASA, including a free therapist for survivors, outreach programs, court advocacy, language access points, children's programming, housing services, partnerships with many different local partners, and education and awareness for both survivors and community members.
“We definitely love to be a hub for resources also,” Provance said. “So, if it's something we can help but it might something outside our wheelhouse and we can connect them with someone else.”
On April 2, CASA will host a 5K Poker Fun Run and an Art Show highlighting local artists based on the theme of new beginnings at the Mathewson Exhibition Center on the Missouri State Fairgrounds.
For more information about CASA, visit casa-sedalia.org.
If you have experienced domestic or sexual violence and need help, call CASA at 660-827-5555 or the national hotline at 800-894-1151.
