One American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds and a local expert said that number is probably lower than reality.
Genesis House Program Director Tracie Hillabrand said she believes sexual assault is often under reported.
“A lot of times, victims, uh, will blame themselves for the assault or they’re in fear of going public because maybe they believe that they won’t be believed.” Hillabrand said.
Hillabrand said the biggest misconception about sexual assault is the offender’s identity.
“I would have to say that 85 to 95 percent of victims know their offender prior to the assault,” Hillabrand said. “Whether it was an acquaintance or a family member. We see most of the time it is someone they already had access in their life.”
Hillabrand said Genesis House will honor the month with a social media campaign. The organization is also always willing to provide educational training to anyone who asks.
“Just make sure that people aren’t afraid to talk about sexual assault because it is an awkward topic from time to time,” Hillabrand said. “But it is something that happens in our area and we just want to make sure that people know Genesis House is here.”
Services at Genesis House is confidential and free.
