Letter to the Editor: on Sexual Assault

I was just out of college the first time I heard that one in five women was the victim of sexual assault. “That couldn’t be true,” I said to myself, and so I conducted a survey among my five closest friends. One of them disclosed that she had been raped. Still unable to believe the statistic, I expanded my survey to include a larger group of 11 women. Two disclosed that they had been raped. I still could not believe it and expanded the survey to include my own mother and the mothers of my friends. The statistic held. Whatever the size or age of the group, it came back to about one in five women.

I was sadly reminded of that soul-shattering statistic after reading the New York Times front-page story last Sunday regarding rapes of women on college campuses and highlighting the story of one survivor who disclosed her attack and now wishes she had not.

The rape culture which is so prevalent in our society continues to re-victimize the victims and excuse or tolerate behavior and actions that deprive victims of safety, autonomy, and respect. We need a transformational change in our society that recognizes the inherent worth of each and every individual to be safe from physical and sexual harm.

For close to 35 years, Hope’s Door has helped victims of domestic violence and dating abuse, 46% of whom are sexually abused, achieve safety, independence and healing from the trauma of abuse. That is why we work in schools across Westchester County to empower young people with the knowledge to embrace a healthy relationship, to know the warning signs of abuse and to promote relationships based on equality, respect, and trust.

We call upon our community, and most importantly, our schools and colleges, to join us in our work to forge a society that affords each person the safety, respect and dignity that we want for ourselves. And, if you are one of the “one in five,” you are not alone. Help and support is just a hotline call away at 888.438.8700.

For more information on domestic abuse, visit our website at www.HopesDoorNY.org.

Sincerely,

CARLLA HORTON

Hope’s Door Executive Director