April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month #StartbyBelieving

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We know that as few as one in five victims report their sexual assault, so they often don’t get the help they need. Also, without a report, law enforcement does not get the opportunity to identify perpetrators in the community, repeat offenders go undetected, and more people become victimized. This month we will be bringing the Start by Believing initiative back to the region. Start by Believing is a public awareness campaign aimed at ending the cycle of silence and transforming the way friends, family, formal support systems, and victim service providers respond to sexual assault. By first believing victims who disclose sexual assault, we can offer help and support, improve emotional well-being, increase reporting rates, and prevent re-traumatization. Take the pledge to start by believing sexual assault victims today at https://startbybelieving.org/pledge/We encourage those who take the pledge to take a selfie with the attached sign and email it to brittany@branchhousetn.org, or post it to social media, tag Branch House, and use #startbybelieving.