Sexual Violence: What Can You Do?

I can't help but think of the family and friends that have been directly affected by the shootings at Virginia Tech this week. As a professional within the domestic and sexual violence field, I've seen (and personally experienced) the pain and suffering that senseless violence brings to a community, to families and to individuals. I can only imagine what that community is going through.

Although we may never have full details behind what happened in Virginia -- we do have evidence of what is going on in our own community. It's not like we're not susceptible to violence. Just last August we experienced a domestic violence related school shooting in Essex which killed two, wounded two; in September, a murder-suicide in Granville, N.Y./Poultney; and in October the murder of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, abducted from the UVM campus. Five dead in three months time. Clearly, violence affects us in Vermont.

Shocking? Yes. Abnormal? Not really. Tragically, these cases resulted in murder -- but, all were related to domestic or sexual violence and the prevalence of that type of violence we are certain of. Statistics tell us that sexual assault is a clear threat in our culture -- for example, think of four women you know -- one of them has been raped, molested, or otherwise sexually assaulted or will be within her lifetime. More than half of these assaults occurred before the age of 18. For men, approximately one in six will be sexually assaulted - 75% of rapes occurring before age 18.

And, although overall crime in Vermont is on the decline, reports of forcible rapes increased by 20% in 2005; in 99% of these cases the defendant was known to the victim (25% of the defendants were either an intimate partner or family member to the victim).

The Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence estimates that nearly 15,000 hotline calls were made by victims of domestic and/or sexual violence in 2005; 438 women left their homes out of fear of violence to be housed in shelters and safe homes; and 7658 children and youth were identified as victims of violence in their homes. From 1994 -- 2005, domestic violence was identified as the cause of homicides in Vermont in just under 50% of the cases.

If we allow our community structure to be rooted in sexism, inequality, inaction and silence -- if we only take action after a tragedy and don't participate in prevention - then we will continue to nourish a community where violence is present, even accepted -- in all its forms.

Please join the Orange County Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force this Friday, April 27 from 5--7:30 p.m. for a Task Force Community Meeting at the Randolph Elementary School. Find out what events we have planned and how you can become involved. Dinner will be provided. 

Help us make Orange County a safer place to live.

Jenny Beaudin Ring
Brookfield
Member, Task Force