Violence Prevention: The Importance Of Sexual Violence

Many people have been worried about sexual violence since it began to hit the mainstream media much more often in the past year. According to the Center of Disease Control, “Sexual violence is defined as a sexual act committed against someone without that person’s freely given consent.” (“Violence Prevention”). However, sexual violence is a very broad term, with many variations: “Types of sexual violence include: forced penetration, alcohol/drug influenced penetration, forced acts in which the victim is forced to penetrate somebody else, verbal pressure or intimidation of victim to consent, unwanted sexual contact, and non-contact unwanted sexual experiences.” (“Violence Prevention”). As horrible as this may sound, sexual violence can happen

Psychological damage is a huge factor of sexual violence, and especially to men: “Men have many emotional, mental, and physical reactions to sexual assault. Some common reactions include an increase in depression, substance abuse, and risk-taking behaviors (Turchik, 2012). Men may feel alone and ashamed about what happened because of beliefs about what it means to “be a man” (Bullock & Beckson, 2011)“ (qtd. in “What is Sexual Violence?”). The topic of sexual violence should be of the utmost importance to society due to the sheer amount of people in which it effects. A 2010 study conducted by the CDC showed that in a lifetime, 24 percent of men and 63 percent of women have experienced some form of sexual violence (qtd. in “About Sexual Violence”). The sad thing about this is that if society was more aware of the issues presented by sexual violence, it simply wouldn’t be a problem. Parents play a large role in preventing future offenses of sexual violence, as many problems can be prevented by simply teaching children the rights and wrongs of society and the dangers of sexual violence. Studies have shown ”Adolescents (ages 13 to 17) account for up to one-fifth of all rapes and one half of all cases of child molestation committed each year”(qtd. in “About Sexual Violence”). Along with teaching children, society also has to teach each other. The Pennsylvania Coalition Against

RAINN was founded in 1994, with the launch of the National Sexual Assault Hotline (“Scott Berkowitz, President.”). The National Sexual Assault Hotline has been a huge part of RAINN’s success with the treatment of victims around the nation. When a victim of sexual violence contacts the National Sexual Assault Hotline, they are provided with: confidential support from a trained support specialist, someone to help talk through what happened, resources that can assist with next steps toward healing and recovery, referrals for long-term support in the area, and information about the laws and resources locally (“About the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline”). Along with the National Sexual Assault Hotline, RAINN makes an extraordinary effort to raise awareness of sexual violence. In an explanation of its programs and expertise, RAINN explains, “Our communication experts raise the visibility of sexual violence and advance the public’s understanding of the crime. We work with the media, entertainment industry, and colleges across the country to provide accurate information about sexual violence prevention, prosecution, and recovery.” (“Programs and Expertise”). However, RAINN can't do this on their own. The organization is extremely dependant on the number of volunteers that are willing to help the cause. Volunteers operate the online and