As April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, the Gorham Board of Health would like to join advocates and communities across the country in shedding light on the nature and extent of sexual violence affecting our society.

A recent study found that one in five Mainers will experience sexual assault during their lifetime, and roughly 14,000 Mainers experience sexual violence annually. Sexual violence is defined as any type of unwanted sexual contact, in-person or online, and represents a wide range of behaviors – varying from catcalling to sexual assault, harassment, trafficking, and nonconsensual image-sharing. These behaviors are influenced by attitudes and norms that directly or indirectly condone violence and require community-level education and prevention. In 2015 alone, Maine’s sexual assault crisis and support centers provided prevention education to over 60,000 K-12 students across the state.

Community education can help change negative societal attitudes by teaching people how to identify signs of problematic behaviors. Smart policies that penalize discriminatory behavior in the workplace, on campuses and in classrooms, and in other forums (including online) help to deter acts of sexual violence. Community education also teaches people how to safely assist victims, when possible. Assistance may include preventative skills like normalizing conversations around consent, bystander intervention, and providing survivors with support.

There are currently many organizations and national partners working to end sexual assault and help survivors. Community resources are steadily becoming more available across Maine, as both the state and independent non-profits strive to highlight sexual assault prevention and survivor support.

One local organization, Service Dog Strong (SDS), founded in 2019 by Simone Emmons and Kristen Stacy, provides service dogs to sexual assault survivors diagnosed with PTSD by funding the adoption and training costs for adopted shelter dogs and survivors. Victims of sexual violence experiencing PTSD can have difficulty connecting with people, resulting in isolation and additional emotional trauma. SDS focuses on the healing power of animals and promoting the strong connection between dogs and their survivors. SDS helps victims become survivors who learn to confidently navigate the world.