Sexual Assault Awareness Month

I just recently found out that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and it is only appropriate that I include facts about this heinous crime that continues to plague women, and men, regardless of economic status, race, ethnicity, or creed. The information below has been obtained from Colorado Coalition against Sexual Assault (CCSA) and Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN). 

• 85% of incarcerated sex offenders knew the person they assaulted

• 90% of college and university sexual assault victims knew their attacker

• 1 out of 6 American women and 1 out of 33 American men have been a victim of an attempted or completed sexual assault

• 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 12

• Over 50% of transgender individuals are survivors of sexual violence

• Alcohol is the number 1 drug used in a sexual assault

• 54% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police

As far as I am concerned, every day should be sexual assault awareness day, human trafficking awareness day, domestic violence awareness day, and any-other-horrible-issue awareness day. These issues should not simply be subjects to be discussed and become enraged about only when they come to or are forced on our attention; rather, they should trigger the impulse to understand the topic and its underlying causes and work hard to educate communities that unless there is a societal shift, the problems will be hard to eradicate. 

-          Krasi