This article has been made for the purpose of awareness. Some topics discussed may be triggering or distressing to some people.
At the start of this month, Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month has started. Many communities have been impacted this month, and also different people in other countries. It is widespread; it just doesn’t happen once every year or even just at one place. It happens everywhere, and some tend not to notice. This could be for both girls and boys. This month, we honor survivors who have been through experiences like these. This is a topic we should all remember and protect our close ones or anyone that you see has been through situations be have on sexual assault. This should be a serious topic to talk about because many go through it and dont speak or open themselves to talk about it. This begins with each other and knowing what they went through, and helping them. Moving forward, we could avoid this.
Many people in different countries, throughout the world, and also different ages go through sexual assault. This should be a really serious topic to talk about, and also, help people who might not want to speak about it. Some people don’t speak about it because people might not believe them, but they should always be free to talk about it with someone whom they can trust. This topic should not be kept a secret, and you should try to get help from others. Many are not alone and have also experienced sexual assault. Sexual assault could create trauma and depression. This could also lead to PTSD, and it is hard for people to concentrate when thinking about their past experiences they went through. It could lead to women getting pregnant even if they don’t want to, anxiety, flashbacks, and nightmares. Sexual Assault could affect a person’s well-being in a lot of different ways. It could mainly affect their physical and mental health. People who have gone through sexual assault might have a feeling of guilt or fear.
Defining Sexual Assault (SA):
Sexual Assault is any unwanted sexual contact or behavior that occurs with an individual. An individual does not give consent to another person. It is a wide range and also refers to:
- Rape or attempted Rape
- Unwanted touching without consent
- Manipulation to get consent
- Harassment
WHY SHOULD WE ACT ON THIS??
We could have higher chances of having fewer attacks if communities get together. Many people could go through this, whether they’re in jail or the military. Children and those older than 12 have also gone through this. In this picture shown above, 80,600 were sexually assaulted or raped that are Inmates, 60,000 were victims of substantiated or indicated sexual bause, 433,648 americans 12 or older were also sexually assaulted or raped and lastly 18,900 experienced unwanted sexual contact in the military. This shows that it could happen anywhere each year. We should be against this and put it out there that it is not okay to make others go through these future traumas. We could act together, and also stand together, and go against people who are making and committing crimes with sexual assault. This month could help to show a person identify abuse if it happened to them. We want to protect our people and communities and be strong.
How does sexual assault affect a survivor’s relationships, trust, and sense of self?
Many people who have experienced this have some kind of trust issues in relationships and socializing with others. They may think others have bad intentions toward them. It could have psychological effects like:
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self harm
- Nightmares
- Hard coping and focusing
Having healthy relationships could be a big way to avoid sexual assault. There could also be communities that are against that and focus on avoiding it. Each survivor has their way of healing it. They have their journey, and each is very different from the others’ stories.
How to support people who have gone through that
Listen and believe:
Knowing that people could trust you could be a good way to help others. Knowing they have an ear to listen and they can have someone who is listening to their problems. Survivors should never be ignored or not listened to. It would be helpful if there were no judgment so survivors could feel comfortable. Not being judgmental could be a powerful tool because they are being heard and not being doubted about their past experiences.
Offering choices and advice:
If you know any survivors who have been through this and had a long journey, you should talk to them. If you see signs of depression and trauma, you could give them advice to talk to someone older, and also send them to any program that helps survivors.
HELP IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE
NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE
If you need help, just call:
1-800-656-4673
LINKS THAT TALK MORE ABOUT THE TOPIC:
Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness – Medical Blog
https://www.slma.cc › sexual-assault-awareness-prevention
Why We Care About Sexual Assault Awareness
https://www.maryvale.org › http › why-we-care-about-se…
Interviews :
Manny: Who am I here with today?
Katie: Katie Flores
Manny: What does sexual awareness mean to you?
Katie: Sexual awareness to me means watching my surroundings everywhere I go and being aware of everything.
Manny: Okay,,y okay, how do you feel about SA, and is there any way we can try and prevent it?
Katie: Yes, there’s a way to prevent it; parents just have to teach their kids to keep their hands to themselves.
Manny: I agree with you.
Manny: Why do you personally think that we need a whole month for SA instead of just one day like MLK?
Katie: This is a month-long awareness month because it’s been going on for years and years, and to this day it keeps on going o,n and we need to put a stop for it.
Manny: And finally, how can we help spread sexual awareness?
Katie: We can help spread sexual awareness by creating an environment where people feel comfortable enough to speak up.
Manny: Okay, thank you for your time.
Katie: You’re welcome.
Alex: Who am I here with today?
Christian: You’re here with Christian.
Alex: We can help spread sexual awareness with social media, like start a trend and spread the word.
Alex: Do you think sexual awareness month has a positive effect on it and makes a difference, or makes no difference?
Christian: I feel like it’s up to the people if they take it into consideration or not, in my opinion,, it just depends on the people.
Alex: And finally, why do we need to spread awareness?
Christian: To show people that we care and support them.
Alex, Ok, thank you for your time.
Christian: Of course.
