April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and what you need to know is that it’s not just a problem in large cities or places far away. It happens in small towns, rural communities and close-knit counties like ours. At Reach of Cherokee County, we know that survivors in Cherokee and Graham counties face the same trauma as victims anywhere else, often with even greater barriers to safety and support.
According to RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, and every 9 minutes the victim is a child. In rural communities, survivors often face added challenges such as limited transportation, fewer local resources, fear of community judgment and the painful reality that they may know the person who harmed them. In many cases, the offender is not a stranger. It may be a partner, family member, friend or acquaintance.
That is one reason so many assaults go unreported. Fear, shame, threats and isolation keep victims silent. As one survivor shared, “I was more afraid of what people in my town would say than what had already happened to me.”
Another victim said, “He was someone everyone trusted. I thought no one would believe me.”
Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault. Not because of what they wore. Not because of where they were. Not because of who they trusted. Sexual assault happens because someone made the choice to use power, control and violence.
As a community, we must do better. We must believe survivors, support healing, teach consent, and stop allowing fear and stigma to keep victims from reaching out.
Reach s here for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Help is available, healing is possible and you are not alone.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call 911 or the Reach crisis hotline at 828-837-8064.
Cecilia Crawford-Faulkner is executive director of Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties. You can reach her by phone at 828-837-2097, email director@reachofcherokeecounty.org or visit reachofcherokeecounty.org.