Building a sense of community for victims of sexual assault

Capital-Star Guest Contributor
·3 min read

(Adobe.com)

By Veronica N. Hubbard

For far too long, sexual assault survivors have lacked societal support to come forward and seek assistance after an assault. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), most people who have experienced sexual violence – a term used to describe unwanted sexual contact, including sexual assault, harassment, and abuse – knew the person who harmed them.

Before discussing the avenues available to victims of sexual assault, it is important to understand the statistics. According to the White House, more than half of all women and nearly one-third of all men in America have experienced sexual violence, with the rate of sexual violence even higher for people of color. Survivors have faced this violence at work, at school, at home, and online.

  • 1 in 5 male victims reported only male perpetrators, 1 in 2 had only female perpetrators, and about 1 in 6 had both male and female perpetrators

  • More than 1 in 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29 percent) in the United States were raped in their lifetime

  • 1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8 percent) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime

  • More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime

  • 32.9 percent of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence

  • 47 percent of all transgender people have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives

People often say that themed-months are futile, accomplish little, and that we should be focusing on certain issues all year. While we should be focused on sexual assault awareness each and every day, I am proud that there is a specific emphasis on the issue during April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The numbers above are staggering and deserve a special focus.

SAAM allows us to raise awareness about sexual assault and violence, educate people on prevention, and speak from our own personal perspective on the resources available to victims to access the legal system. This year in particular, SAAM is highlighting the importance of building connected communities and ensuring survivors have the resources they need.

Firms like mine provide avenues for civil justice for victims of sexual assault and violence. This is important because oftentimes the criminal justice system focuses more on the perpetrator of the abuse, rather than the victim. By working with victims to bring civil cases against those that enabled their abusers, we give more control to the victim.

We also focus on the entity or institution that enabled or allowed the abuse to occur, forcing policy changes and helping to prevent future abuse. We take a trauma-informed approach centered around the survivor with the goal of providing hope, healing, and resolution – three facets of recovery often overlooked in criminal cases, as mentioned above.

As we close out April, I am proud of all the partners in this fight working toward a goal of better connecting our communities and ensuring victims of sexual assault understand their options. Let’s continue this work beyond April and make sure every victim, no matter their race or gender, has access to resources to heal and gain their own sense of justice.

Veronica N. Hubbard is an associate attorney at Andreozzi + Foote, a law firm that represents victims of sexual abuse. Veronica handles cases from intake through litigation on behalf of sexual abuse survivors against institutions, including Catholic dioceses, schools, daycares, and many others.

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