Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  Some recent publicity, most notably the #MeToo movement, has made this an important topic.  Sexual Assault can occur in many different forms – inappropriate contact and rape to name a few.

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), 91% of victims of Sexual Assault are female.  Even more scary, statistics say a woman is raped every 2 minutes in the U.S.  The estimated lifetime dollar cost of an assault?  $122,461, which costs the U.S. more than any other crime including murder and drunk driving.  This does not take into account the possible mental anguish and depression that often ensues.

Can we totally eliminate sexual assault?  Probably not, but there are measures we can take:  Communicate openly.  Ask for consent.  Continue to spread awareness.  Donate to the cause.  Speak out if you see something that doesn’t seem right.  Report incidents immediately.  Listen to your gut.

As a society, we need to learn to treat each other with dignity and respect.  Help be a part of the solution.  Together we can reduce sexual assault.