April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

To The Eagle:

April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. St. James Family Center/The Charlotte House is Wahkiakum County’s Community Sexual Assault Program. Throughout this month you will notice table tents and posters in various businesses in the county. These table tents display contact information for you or someone you care about who has experienced sexual assault at any time in their life. You might also recognize that we are using the logo from the No More Campaign along with personal thoughts on what we would like to see no more of.

No More is a public awareness campaign that focuses on the public response to sexual assault. Because a friend or family member is usually the first person a victim confides in after an assault, each individual’s personal reaction is the first step in a long path to justice and healing. Knowing how to respond is critical. A negative response can worsen the trauma and create an environment where perpetrators face zero consequences for their crimes.

There is no shame when your loved one dies, when your car is stolen, when you’re diagnosed with cancer. Friends and loved ones gather around you for support. They don’t blame you for “bringing it on yourself.”

It should be the same with sexual violence. But all too often, survivors who have the courage to tell someone what happened to them are blamed for bringing it on themselves. This needs to change.

Because rapists attack on average of six times, one failed response can equal five more victims. St. James Family Center/The Charlotte House is working toward stopping this cycle, by creating a positive community response, informing the public, uniting allies and supporters, and improving our personal reactions. The goal is to change the world, and outcomes for victims, one response at a time.

If you would like more information on the No More Campaign, the services St. James Family Center provides, or would like to lend your voice to this campaign, please call us at 795-6401 or toll free at 1-866-795-9381. All services are free and confidential.

Susan Schillios

Shelter Manager