Pictured above left to right are For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center Staff pictured left to right are Susan Ahlstrom, Regional Navigator; Myisha Johnson, Victim Advocate; Kristy Mirando, Director of Victim Services; and Michelle Hudson, Victim Advocate.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). This year the For All Seasons team is focusing on youth and the importance of consent in sexual relationships. Sexual assault with our youth is on the rise and consent matters. As a behavioral health agency and a rape crisis center, our agency cares about education and prevention. We know that helping youth and adults to understand consent is a part of prevention.
Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes any type of unwanted sexual contact. Forms of sexual violence include rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual abuse. It also includes a range of behaviors such as unwanted sexual contact or words, online exploitation, exposing oneself to others without consent, and nonconsensual image sharing. We are working throughout this month and beyond to educate youth and adults about what consent means. Consent is the ongoing process of discussing boundaries and what you are comfortable with.
For All Seasons has several activities scheduled to help educate the community on topics tied to this issue during April. These include working with some local youth groups to share information about consent, hosting a panel discussion on human trafficking at the Avalon, a collaborative art and education activity around consent with the Caroline County Arts Center at the Foundry in Denton, and sharing the myths and facts about Sexual Assault throughout our social media and on our billboards. On April 24 (Denim Day), For All Seasons is encouraging the public to wear jeans, take a stand against victim-blaming, and share photos and videos with @ForAllSeasonsInc on Facebook and Instagram.
Adults can take the lead in preventing child sexual abuse by contributing to safe and protective environments, listening to children and respecting their boundaries, and learning to recognize and respond appropriately to warning signs of abuse. Warning signs can differ based on the children’s ages. For more information, visit https://www.rainn.org/warning-signs.
“We hope that everyone realizes they have a role to play in the prevention of sexual violence. Prevention is a yearlong process, but in April, we take the time to reignite our efforts during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Prevention addresses shifting behaviors, attitudes, norms, and systems that contribute to sexual violence. We can create cultures where consent is normalized, and attitudes around healthy sexual behaviors are shifted. We can begin to build this culture by understanding and communicating about consent,” states Beth Anne Dorman, CEO of For All Seasons.
For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.