April is Sexual Assualt Awareness Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Beth Savitzky, Executive Director, Kansas City Anti-Violence Project

April 8, 2010

{Kansas City, MO} — April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a nationally recognized time dedicated to raising awareness about and promoting prevention of sexual violence. During this month, KCAVP will be joining with people throughout Kansas, Missouri, and the nation to focus the public’s attention on this important issue.

The U.S. Department of Justice reports that one in six women has been raped at some time in her life and one in 33 men has been raped at some point in his life. Of these assaults, at least 80 percent are committed by someone the victim knows, including a current or former intimate partner. In Missouri alone, more than 1,489 forcible rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2009. According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, one rape is reported every seven hours and 24 minutes in Kansas. These statistics leave little doubt that most Americans know at least one sexual assault survivor. Yet, only about 20 percent of survivors report the violent crime of sexual assault to police.

“No one person can eliminate sexual violence on his or her own,” said Beth Savitzky, Executive Director of KCAVP. “It takes a community of committed individuals to make a significant impact. KCAVP invites our community to join us this month, and year-round, in taking a stand against sexual violence. We need your support to continue serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims and survivors of sexual violence. You can help by giving a gift, becoming a volunteer, or getting involved with local events.”

For more information on Sexual Assault Awareness Month, contact KCAVP at (816) 561-0550 between 9am and 5pm, or visit www.kcavp.org. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, confidential help is available too.

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KCAVP provides information, support, referrals, advocacy and other services to LGBT survivors of violence including domestic violence, sexual assault, and hate crimes, focusing these services within the Kansas City metropolitan area. KCAVP also educates the community at large through training and outreach programs