Wednesday Vigil
SARP and Green County District Attorney's office will host a candle light vigil in honor of sexual assault survivors and to observe April as the national sexual awareness month at 5:30 on Wednesday, April 15, in front of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry building at 1505 9th St. A reception and refreshments follow the program. All community members are welcome to join the vigil and reception.
MONROE - The number of people looking to Green County officials for recovery from sexual assault has more than tripled since 2006, according to a recovery program director.
Fourteen victims were served in 2006; that number doubled to 28 in 2007, and in 2008 the program served 48, said Penny Meyers, Sexual Assault Recovery Program of Green County director.
"This is not necessarily a sign that sexual assaults incidents are increasing in Green County. However, the number of people who are coming forward to ask for help is increasing. We are pleased the stigma about sexual assault is fading away, and people are feeling more comfortable about asking for help and support in their healing journey," Meyers said.
Since the program known as SARP started serving victims in 2003, more than 80 percent have been minors. The average age of a sexual assault victim in Wisconsin is 15, and Green County statistics are pretty much in line with the state figures.
Those numbers underline the importance of preventative education.
"We have been making sexual assault prevention training for middle and high school students in the area since 2007," Meyers said. "In 2008, we trained about a thousand middle and high school students. We started these trainings, because most of the victims that we help in the emergency room are teenage and even child victims. It is really hard to see a 12- or 13-year-old child go thorough this."
The Recovery Program also believes in the significance of the community education of sexual assault prevention, a topic of a vigil Wednesday in Monroe hosted by SARP.
The program will focus heavily in the near future to educate youth professionals on responding effectively to a child or young person's disclosure of a sexual assault. Survivors of sexual abuse and advocates of sexual assault recovery will meet at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry building.
According to Meyers, when an abused child or teenager discloses, the first response to him or her is vital.
"Sometimes, unintentionally and due to lack of knowledge and skills, adults, parents, teachers, or educators make big mistakes in handling disclosures," Meyers said. "The child or teenager experiences a great deal of guilt and shame after being sexually assaulted. The way we respond to the child's or teenager's disclosure may make things better or worse. That's why we are currently working on new training for adults and youth professionals to provide them with the knowledge and skills to respond appropriately."
The Wednesday candle light vigil marks the third such program SARP has held in observance of national Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The evening program will present information, personal stories and survivor statements, Ellen Schwartz, SARP Outreach Coordinator, said.
District Attorney Gary Luhman will open the program, followed by a member from the Monroe Clinic Child Advocacy Center, and a survivor from Rock County with a personal story of a journey of healthy adjustments.
Meyers will also will also speak, before the "shattering ceremony."
The shattering ceremony consists of breaking a glass container filled with statements by survivors, in a symbolic gesture of breaking the silence - a common reaction to sexual abuse. The statements will be read aloud by volunteers.
The lighting of candles continues the symbolism of destroying the darkness that envelopes victims and their stories.
Schwartz, originally from Monroe, spent 28 years as a police officer in Madison. During that time, she came to realize what valuable resources advocates of sexual assaults victims were.
"I appreciated the work the Dane County Rape Crisis Center did," she said.
When she came back to Green County, Schwartz looked for a good place to put her energy and skills to work.
"I worked for about a year and half as a volunteer advocate before becoming the outreach coordinator," she said. This is her third year with SARP and her second candle light vigil in Green County.
Victims of sexual assault can contact SARP at (866) 666-4576.
SARP and Green County District Attorney's office will host a candle light vigil in honor of sexual assault survivors and to observe April as the national sexual awareness month at 5:30 on Wednesday, April 15, in front of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry building at 1505 9th St. A reception and refreshments follow the program. All community members are welcome to join the vigil and reception.
Fourteen victims were served in 2006; that number doubled to 28 in 2007, and in 2008 the program served 48, said Penny Meyers, Sexual Assault Recovery Program of Green County director.
"This is not necessarily a sign that sexual assaults incidents are increasing in Green County. However, the number of people who are coming forward to ask for help is increasing. We are pleased the stigma about sexual assault is fading away, and people are feeling more comfortable about asking for help and support in their healing journey," Meyers said.
Since the program known as SARP started serving victims in 2003, more than 80 percent have been minors. The average age of a sexual assault victim in Wisconsin is 15, and Green County statistics are pretty much in line with the state figures.
Those numbers underline the importance of preventative education.
"We have been making sexual assault prevention training for middle and high school students in the area since 2007," Meyers said. "In 2008, we trained about a thousand middle and high school students. We started these trainings, because most of the victims that we help in the emergency room are teenage and even child victims. It is really hard to see a 12- or 13-year-old child go thorough this."
The Recovery Program also believes in the significance of the community education of sexual assault prevention, a topic of a vigil Wednesday in Monroe hosted by SARP.
The program will focus heavily in the near future to educate youth professionals on responding effectively to a child or young person's disclosure of a sexual assault. Survivors of sexual abuse and advocates of sexual assault recovery will meet at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry building.
According to Meyers, when an abused child or teenager discloses, the first response to him or her is vital.
"Sometimes, unintentionally and due to lack of knowledge and skills, adults, parents, teachers, or educators make big mistakes in handling disclosures," Meyers said. "The child or teenager experiences a great deal of guilt and shame after being sexually assaulted. The way we respond to the child's or teenager's disclosure may make things better or worse. That's why we are currently working on new training for adults and youth professionals to provide them with the knowledge and skills to respond appropriately."
The Wednesday candle light vigil marks the third such program SARP has held in observance of national Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The evening program will present information, personal stories and survivor statements, Ellen Schwartz, SARP Outreach Coordinator, said.
District Attorney Gary Luhman will open the program, followed by a member from the Monroe Clinic Child Advocacy Center, and a survivor from Rock County with a personal story of a journey of healthy adjustments.
Meyers will also will also speak, before the "shattering ceremony."
The shattering ceremony consists of breaking a glass container filled with statements by survivors, in a symbolic gesture of breaking the silence - a common reaction to sexual abuse. The statements will be read aloud by volunteers.
The lighting of candles continues the symbolism of destroying the darkness that envelopes victims and their stories.
Schwartz, originally from Monroe, spent 28 years as a police officer in Madison. During that time, she came to realize what valuable resources advocates of sexual assaults victims were.
"I appreciated the work the Dane County Rape Crisis Center did," she said.
When she came back to Green County, Schwartz looked for a good place to put her energy and skills to work.
"I worked for about a year and half as a volunteer advocate before becoming the outreach coordinator," she said. This is her third year with SARP and her second candle light vigil in Green County.
Victims of sexual assault can contact SARP at (866) 666-4576.
SARP and Green County District Attorney's office will host a candle light vigil in honor of sexual assault survivors and to observe April as the national sexual awareness month at 5:30 on Wednesday, April 15, in front of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry building at 1505 9th St. A reception and refreshments follow the program. All community members are welcome to join the vigil and reception.