Sexual Assualt Prevention

        Sexual Assault in the high school community is nationally at epidemic
        proportions. One in four women are victims of rape or attempted rape and a
        majority of these rapes are acquaintance rapes. Among women who are
        survivors of sexual assault, one third were raped when they were in high
        school.  It is estimated that one female child out of every three will sexually
        abused before she is 18. In addition, one male child out of eleven will be
        sexually abused as well.

        We currently have a team response to rapes that occur within the community
        that is coordinated through the police, Sheriff, hospital and then is referred to
        either our therapist, a community private provider or Mental Health. Education
        is provided by the Executive Director, the Victim Advocate or our therapist.We
        have a solid working relationship with the Health Department in that we make
        mutual referrals. We provide educational material and make our services
        known and available. We feel that this relationship needs to be expanded to
        include regular prevention programs for their clients. We feel that this is a
        feasible goal.

        Narrative:

        The Lighthouse of Wayne County, Inc. Has been concentrating most of its'
        efforts in increasing services to victims of sexual assault. We have done this by
        expanding space to include an office for child interviews, providing therapy for
        sexually assaulted children, adding a sexual assault support group, therapy for
        sexual assault victims and incest survivors. Victim advocacy has increased to
        accompany all victims to medical appointments, law enforcement interviews,
        and through the court process.

        In December we initiated our prevention program. We hired a prevention
        officer who is responsible for the offender treatment program.  This enabled us
        to provide intervention to the entire family unit with anticipated results of
        preventing repeat offences once identified and referred.

        Education is an important aspect of preventing the sexual abuse of children and
        adults. Education accomplishes the following:

           * It breaks through individual and societal silence and denial that has for
        centuries tolerated sexual abuse of our young.

           * It increases access to community resources for treatment and intervention

           * It decreases public acceptance of sexual abuse

           *It increases the understanding and awareness by our young people of issues
        related to sexual violence.

        Prevention occurs in two stages. The first stage is the dissemination of
        information of factual information and the development of skills to avoid or
        resist approach by an offender.  This process also includes education about
        what to do and who to contact if an assault has taken place.

        Long term goals is directed towards community change directed at the root
        causes for such abuse to occur. There needs to be a focus on the attitudes and
        the practices that may support and encourage violence against especially our
        young people , women and the elderly.

        Our plan is to be able to hire a youth outreach worker that will start to network
        with school officials. Our goal is to provide sexual assault prevention training to
        all students within the community and encourage schools to develop policies
        addressing non support and consequences for violent behavior.

        We plan to include the DARE Program and the Health Department in this plan
        of action so that health issues are addressed along with sexual assault
        prevention information.  The Wayne Community Advisory Committee that is
        being formed presently will be instrumental in the evaluation of this expanding
        program.

        For colleges in this area a peer counseling approach will be utilized. One such
        program is planned in march with Mt Olive College. Dorm leaders will be
        trained to educate and counsel fellow students.

        Additionally it is important to also reach the private schools. Curriculum is
        available to teach children in those settings. Attached is the model we plan to
        initiate.  In conjunction with education we anticipate an increase in referrals and
        reports. The Youth Outreach Worker will establish a teen hot line and begin the
        process of recruiting and training teens to man the hotline. This process will
        closely monitored by the Outreach Worker. We hope this approach will
        encourage young people to come forward if they have been abused and to ask
        questions about these issues. Teens respond to teens.

        Materials and Resources now available:

        Sex Without Consent, Vol I , Peer Training For Secondary schools

        Sex Without Consent, Vol II Peer education for Colleges and Universities

        Adolescent Sexual Assault and Harassment prevention Curriculum

        Preventing Child Abuse Ages 9-12

        Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Assault. A Prevention Manual

        

        The expected outcome is that our young children will be empowered to be able
        to state an assertive no, to get away, to tell someone they trust to stop the
        abuse and how to get help. With older children the main focus will be the
        importance of getting help, the effects of abuse and the importance of getting
        help even if the abuse has ended. Students will have an understanding of the
        abuse of power as a result of this education and will also be able to apply this
        understanding to other forms of abuse.

        The crisis team will continue to work with the community in putting sexual
        assault into the limelight and educating about the seriousness and long lasting
        effect of sexual assault.

        In conclusion, Wayne County has no formal program in our schools to address
        sexual assault education on an ongoing basis. We believe the outcome will be
        that all student s will have an understanding how to protect themselves, and who
        to come to for help at minimum.