MOMENT OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

ORLANDO, FL—[WORD AND ACTION, INC]- September 27th, 2018—According to the RAINN, “Only 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. That means about 2 out of 3 go unreported.” A 2013 study led by Chris Green stated that child sexual abuse ranks second to homicide in the U.S. and very costly with an estimated $30 billion per year. According to Fox & Cornwall (2013), “One in four females and one in six males experience sexual trauma before18 years of age.” This is an epidemic that deserves our attention, especially in the light of the resent revelations of Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation of sexual assault toward Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. It is worth noting that according to Dr. Ford, she was only teenager when she experienced sexually assaulted and like countless cases in the United States, no report was filled.

There are many reasons that explain the reluctance of victims to report their horrific experience related to sexual violence. Aside from the traumatization, fear of being stigmatized, chastised, and re-victimized are among some of the blockades that prevent them from reporting such a heinous crime. It takes great strengths for victims to talk about their trauma, as it may trigger great emotional and psychological reactions. Another very important paralyzing aspect that victims sometimes experienced is the fear of not being believed.

Today, we stand and ask to stop any acts of revictimization and give due process to Dr. Ford. One victim is too many. As the Guerline Jozef, Chair of Word and Action, Inc. (W&A) stated, “We must continue to stand on the side of justice on behalf of all women, men, and children who are survivors for sexual assault.”

W&A prides itself to be at the forefront in the battle against child sexual abuse epidemic in our community. Conscious of the magnitude of the ordeal and the scares left by such a trauma, we continue to stand with the victims and their families. We will continue with our efforts to ensure that children and families are safer by advocating for protective federal and state laws that could effectively deter and punish sexual predators.

The number of children being sexually abused in our community is staggering. Therefore, W&A is reaching out to state leaders and stakeholders to take meaningful actions toward quelling child sexual abuse instead of bullying the victims.

*For more information on Word and Action, please visit: www.wordandaction.org. For media inquiries, visit: https://www.wordandaction.org/pressor contact us at: 305-647-8973.

References:

Fox, H. C. & Cornwell, A. (2013). Undetected childhood sexual trauma and its health

effects in adults. American Family Physician, 88(5), 330. Retrieved from www.aafp.org/afp

Green (2013).Expert: Child sex abuse an ‘epidemic’. Retrieved from

http://www.rrstar.com/article/20130814/News/308149880