What is Sexual Violence?
Sexual assault is motivated by hostility, power and control over another. It Includes forced, coerced, manipulated or unwanted touching, kissing or sexual intercourse, and verbal harassment.
What is Sex Trafficking?
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex due to the use of force, fraud, or coercion. By law, anyone under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex is considered to be a victim of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men have been victims of sexual assault during their lifetime.
- 60-75% of all rapes are committed by an acquaintance of the person
- 85% of sexual assaults in Virginia were committed by males
- The majority of victims were molested or raped as children
- Children who run away from home due to abuse often run to unsafe situations and are at risk of being exploited or trafficked.
I've been Sexually Assaulted. What should I do?
- Get to a safe place
- Do NOT bathe or change clothes (this is vital for DNA collection if you pursue criminal charges)
- Go to the hospital
- Police are always available to take a report of the crime
- Seek counseling
- Talk to someone you trust; you don't have to go through this alone
- Give yourself time to recover; try to eat well, spend time with people who support you; do activities that make you feel safe
- You have choices; figure out what's best for you; talk to our Sexual Violence Advocate if you've been a victim of rape
What can I do if someone tells me they have been sexually assaulted?
- Believe her; be supportive and let her talk about her situation
- It's not her fault; reassure her that she does not deserve the abuse
- Contact us; we can provide support for you and her
As a parent, how can I protect my child from online predators?
We know that 55% of child sex trafficking victims in the US reportedly met their traffickers online.
Online grooming or online enticement is the process a trafficker uses to earn a child's trust and form a relationship with them secretly. This process can lead to onine sexual exploitation where the trafficker coerces a child to send inapproriate images or video, profits from it, and then uses it as blackmail to gain power over the child.
Traffickers may then lure the child to meet fact-to-face.
Use the following resources to learn how to protect your child.
