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One in three girls and one in four boys will be sexually abused by the age of 16. Drug and alcohol abuse, depression, teen pregnancy, juvenile violence, sleep and eating disorders, suicide and low self-esteem are often symptomatic of victims of sexual assault who have not had the opportunity to heal. Sexual violence is a rampant problem and affects all members of our community in some way.
The Sexual Assault Response Center (SARC) is a non-profit United Way participating agency. SARC has been in existence since 1977 providing services to Benton and Franklin Counties. While SARC receives funding from United Way and state grants, it is necessary to maintain community support in order to provide comprehensive services.
349 clients were served in our Crisis Program in fiscal year 2004; 42% being under the age of 12, 34% between the ages of 12 – 18, with the remaining 24% comprising adults 18 years of age and older. Crisis intervention, support, legal and medical advocacy is available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. On-site counseling and support groups are also available.
SARC’s Education Program provided 320 presentations to school age children last fiscal year. SARC offers an array of age appropriate preventive based educational programs to raise the awareness of sexual violence in our community and to prevent future violence from occurring. Through supplementary outreach efforts (including a newsletter, television documentaries, community health fairs) an additional 122,962 community members received educational information.
The Kids Haven program is an exciting collaboration between SARC and our local city and county governments. A trained specialized interviewer interviews children who may have been abused. Representatives from law enforcement, prosecution and CPS are able to view the interview through a one-way mirror. This allows for a less threatening interview for the child and minimizes the number of times a child may have to recite the details of their abuse. Advocates are able to meet with non-offending family members to offer services to the child and family. Because of this unique collaboration children are being interviewed in a more timely fashion, children are receiving a more comprehensive and child-friendly interview which assists in prosecution, and the entire family benefits from receiving counseling and advocacy services to assist in the healing process. Over 300 children were interviewed at Kids Haven this past year.
Please call SARC with any questions you may have – (509) 374-5391.
Or visit their website at http://www.sexualassaultresponsecenter.com
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