By Kayla Woody, CPN House of Hope Prevention Specialist
During April, the House of Hope has several events planned. Staff are eager to educate and discuss prevention strategies when it comes to Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Attention must be called to the widespread violence that impacts individuals in all communities.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, “Nationally, it is estimated that 17% of women and 3% of men have been victims of sexual violence in their lifetime. In Oklahoma, the rate of rape and attempted rape among females reported to law enforcement has been 35-45% higher than the U.S. rate for the past decade.” Among our Native communities, “over half of Native women will experience some form of sexual assault,” said Sarah Deer, a University of Kansas professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma.
Throughout the month, House of Hope is planning to focus its time on bringing education to the community on what this type of violence looks like and how individuals can respond more empathetically to victims when they do disclose the trauma they have experienced.
What Where You Wearing Exhibit — This event was held April 7-12 at the Oklahoma Baptist University Geiger Center in Shawnee. The exhibit displays clothing based on local survivors’ descriptions of what they were wearing during their assault. The display aims to shatter the myth that sexual assault can be attributed to a person’s choice of wardrobe but rather places the blame back on the perpetrator.
SANE Training — April 14, House of Hope partnered with the YWCA of Oklahoma City to host a training for nursing students on SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner). This training aims to encourage students to seek a career specializing in this field. The International Association of Forensic Nurses states that only 25% of hospitals in the U.S. have SANE on staff or available. This is a huge barrier to victims who are seeking assistance after an assault.
National Denim Day — The last event held on April 30 will focus on uniting the community around supporting survivors of sexual assault. As the longest-running sexual violence prevention campaign in history, this event allows support in healing by also giving survivors a voice. The House of Hope encourages those in the community, along with Tribal employees, to wear denim in honor of survivors.
If you have any questions about the events held or would like to participate in some way to bring information about this topic to your community, please reach out to Kayla Woody, prevention specialist at the House of Hope.
If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking and would like more information, please contact House of Hope at 405-275-3176 or visit us online at facebook.com/cpnhouseofhope.