Domestic violence task force meeting devoted to sexual assault awareness

Almost half of people who are sexually assaulted are 18 years old or younger, according to the Safe House for Women in Cape Girardeau, which is why the organization's educators and outreach coordinators are teaching area students about healthy relationships while they're young.

"Anyone can be a victim, and we see that anyone is a victim" of sexual assault, said Molly Woeltje, appointed educator for the Safe House, at the Domestic Violence Community Response Task Force quarterly meeting Tuesday afternoon at Dexter Bar-B-Que. The meeting's topic was sexual assault awareness, coinciding with April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Attorneys, school counselors and representatives from local counseling centers attended the meeting, which provided statistics and facts about sexual abuse, information on what to watch for, and how to help victims.

Sexual violence is an umbrella term covering rape, incest, child sexual abuse, human trafficking and unwanted sexual contact, among other things, Woeltje said. Sexual assault is when a person is forced or manipulated into being involved in sexual contact without their consent.

Sexual assault is common in children and the elderly because of fear or not knowing they can say no, she said.

The most common sexual offender is someone a person knows and perhaps sees every day, Woeltje said, not a stranger hiding in the bushes as TV shows and movies depict. Sixty-percent of sexual assaults are not reported, and 97 percent of rapists do not get jail time.

Those who are sexually abused may suffer from long-term effects such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, extreme levels of stress, anxiety, fear or depression, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, flashbacks, eating and sleeping disorders and self-harm, Woeltje said.

Many victims do not think anyone will believe they have been sexually assaulted, and they think the fact that they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol may hinder their chances of being believed, she said.

No matter what the circumstances are, it is important the victim knows he or she didn't deserve the sexual assault happening to them, Woeltje said. The best thing anyone can do to help someone after they admit to being sexually assaulted is to believe them.

Other ways for people to help is to look for changes in a person's behavior or appearance. Some who have been sexually abused start wearing baggier clothing and not showering to make themselves as unattractive as possible, Woeltje said. Anyone confronted by a victim of sexual assault should encourage the person to seek help.

Being a good role model and practicing and promoting respect can help prevent sexual abuse, Woeltje said, and individuals are responsible for intervening when an abusive situation is noticed.

Most men's instincts are to protect and provide for the women in their lives, not harm them, said Aaron Picar, an educator at the Safe House. Men who do so are less likely to commit sexual violence, and it also gives men a sense of identity and trust.

"Most men want to be heroes," not rapists or sexual abusers, he said.

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