April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, a time to emphasize the importance of preventing sexual violence, assault and harassment, as well as providing support for survivors.
According to the National Sexual Violence Research Center, 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime. Sexual violence is something that could happen to anyone, regardless of gender, race, age, education level, sexual orientation, occupation or religion.
At Ohio University, the Survivor Advocacy Program provides services to all students, whether they are survivors themselves or “co-survivors” who have supported someone through their experience of sexual violence or harassment.
Eileen Marsal Koch, director of SAP, discussed the program’s overarching goal and importance in a university setting.
“Our purpose is to help students and make sure that they have a safe place on campus where they can feel like people are hearing them, believing them,” Marsal Koch said. “We try and make sure that we help (remove) any barriers that are in the way of them getting their education and feeling safe on campus.”
Last week, OU and SAP held several events for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month to advocate for survivors. Tuesday, SAP hosted a “glow run” in preparation for its annual “Take Back the Night,” an event where survivors and advocates spoke, told their stories and spread awareness.
SAP is confidential and is exempt from mandatory reporting, unlike many other university programs. The SAP office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in Lindley Hall 041, where anyone can stop in or schedule an appointment. SAP also has an after-hours hotline number, 740-597-7233, that is available 24 hours a day.
Beyond the walls of OU, the Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program supports survivors all across Meigs, Perry, Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Morgan, Vinton, Jackson and Lawrence counties.
Roshni Ashiq, SAOP’s residential program manager, discussed the types of violence their team helps with daily.
“We do get a wide variety of cases that range from domestic violence, domestic abuse, sexual assault, sexual violence, human trafficking, harassment, stalking,” Ashiq said.
Heather Mitchell, the director of programs at SAOP, discussed the importance of the crisis hotline number, 740-591-4266, where anyone can get immediate support or advice about a potential sexual violence case.
“We have that staff 24/7, and that is to provide emotional support from nine to five to do intakes with people,” Mitchell said. “Then after hours, it's to go to the hospital with somebody who might need a forensic exam or support immediately after a sexual assault.”
However, trauma-informed care isn’t always immediate. SAOP’s New Leaf Program helps survivors manage the lasting impacts of the trauma. New Leaf provides affordable housing, therapy and employment services to help survivors live a stable, safe life away from their abuser.
“We understand that it takes a lot more than just some emotional support and a new phone to make the problem go away,” Mitchell said. “I think we're looking at a lot of generational trauma, a lot of things that have gone on for lifetimes and through families.”
SAOP also prioritizes prevention, aiming to prevent these cases from happening in the first place. Brandon Thompson, SAOP's prevention and training coordinator, collaborates with local businesses to identify signs of violence or harassment. He leads training in schools and has recently begun working with bars on sexual assault prevention.
“We want to make sure (the) community knows so when they see some type of violence, maybe stalking, they can disrupt that so it doesn't turn into further violence,” Thompson said.
SAOP and SAP work closely together, making sure any and all survivors across Southeast Ohio have adequate resources for their specific situation. Both groups help guide survivors through whatever support they need, whether that be making a police report, getting out of a dangerous situation or even just getting a new phone.
“Abuse does exist,” Ashiq said.” Violence does exist. Even if it does not get reported to an extent, it is present in our society. So just making sure that these services are there for people and people know that these services exist makes a lot of difference.”
