The Chesterfield Daily

April has been designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, an opportunity to focus awareness of sexual violence and prevention. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge agencies that provide services to victims of sexual violence. Sexual violence is defined as any sexual act that results in physical and psychological trauma and injury. It can be verbal, physical or psychological. Sexual assault and rape are crimes of violence and control, using sex acts as a weapon.

Every two minutes in the United States, someone becomes victimized through sexual violence. In Virginia, one in 10 adults report being the victim of rape or attempted rape at least once in their lifetime. Statistics show that one in four women and one in eight men living in Virginia has been a victim of sexual violence in her or his lifetime.

In the United States, more than 70 percent of rapes go unreported. The United States has the highest rate of rape of any country that publishes such statistics. In 2000, there were 261,000 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. Of these 261,000, 114,000 were victims of sexual assault, 55,000 were victims of attempted rape and 92,000 were victims of completed rape.

The Chesterfield County Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center is striving to enhance services to Chesterfield County and the community at large as it pertains to sexual violence through education, training and support. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual violence, please call the center at (804) 706-1272, or call the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 838-8238.