The satellite office of the YWCA, located in the Healthy Communities of Clinton County (HCCC) building, has been opened for six months. As advocates, Ashley and Bree work to help local survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking find their voice and ensure their safety. Through case advocacy, support groups, legal advocacy, and emergency shelter, YWCA Greater Lafayette is on a mission to support and empower survivors of violence. and with local advocates their Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (DVIPP) is here to keep victims safe, including helping to make a safety plan and working with community partners to obtain additional resources.
Education is crucial to preventing violence and the YWCA states: Violence Prevention Education is a key pillar of YWCA’s Domestic Violence Intervention & Prevention Program. In order to break the cycle of violence we must educate the community on what healthy relationships look like, how to identify the warning signs of intimate partner violence and child abuse, how to provide support and to victims and survivors, and what to do if you suspect someone is experiencing domestic violence. As a community, we can work together to build safe neighborhoods, homes, and schools.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), sexual assault continues to represent the most rapidly growing violent crime in America, claiming a victim every 45 seconds. Because many of these attacks occurring daily go unreported and unrecognized, sexual assault can be considered a “silent-violent epidemic” in the United States today.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the theme for this 22nd anniversary is “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.” This April’s campaign calls on all individuals, communities, organizations and institutions to change ourselves and the systems surrounding us to build racial equity and respect.
Join Frankfort Mayor and Zontian Judith Sheets, along with YWCA and other local advocates this Friday, March 31, at noon on the Courthouse Lawn as she proclaims April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month here in Frankfort.