Statistics show one in five women and one in 67 men will be raped at some point in their lives.
The Upshur County Commission proclaimed the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month during its April 17 meeting.
Lori Ulderich Harvey, executive director of the Upshur County Family Resource Network, attended the meeting to read the proclamation and highlight the need for awareness surrounding the issue.
If you or someone you know needs help, there are a variety of resources on this page, including the Centers Against Violence, which may be reached at 304-473-0070.
The proclamation appears in full below:
Sexual Assault Awareness Month calls attention to the widespread issue of sexual violence and empowers communities to take action.
This year’s theme, “Together We Act, United We Change,” highlights the power of working together to create safer, more respectful environments for all.
Sexual abuse, assault and harassment affect individuals of every background. To address this, we must promote education about consent, healthy communication and bystander intervention.
By equipping individuals and communities with these tools, we can help prevent violence before it starts and foster a culture of respect and care.
Everyone in our communities deserves to live in safe and supportive environments where they are treated with respect. When in our workplaces, schools, and community work together to uphold safety and respect, we make progress in preventing sexual abuse, assault and harassment.
Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment harm our community, and statistics show one in five women and one in 67 men will be raped at some point in their lives (Smith et al., 2017).
Child sexual abuse prevention must be a priority to confront the reality that one in six boys and one in four girls will experience sexual assault before age 18 (Dube et al., 2005).
On campus, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted during their time in college (Krebs, Lindquist, Warner, Fisher, & Martin, 2007).
Nearly 33 percent of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence (Tomsa et al. 2021.)
Individuals can embrace their voices to show their support for survivors, stand up to victim blaming, shut down rape jokes, correct harmful misconceptions, promote everyday consent, and practice healthy communication with kids.
