(La Porte County, IN) - April marks the 25th anniversary of national Sexual Assault Awareness month.

 

Sexual assault prevention has long been a growing movement but prosecutors and other advocates agree there’s still a lot of work to do particularly in Indiana.

 

Statistics show 60 percent of women and 25 percent of men in Indiana have been victims of sexual violence over their lifetimes, but the numbers are likely higher due to more than 60 percent of sexual assaults are not reported.  The statistics are from the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact that includes anything from rape to sharing intimate images without consent.

 

“Unfortunately, there’s not one solution that can magically fix the enormous problem of sexual assault, but there are ways we can educate our communities about prevention and appropriate response to sexual violence,” he said.

 

Fagan said it’s critical to teach young children about body safety, the concept of consent along with how and when to report their concerns to safe adults.

 

“Our office depends on the courage of community members, colleagues, friends, family, and survivors to report abuse to law enforcement when it occurs. This is the only way we can hold abusers accountable for their crimes and take action to stop or prevent sexual violence in the future,” he said.