April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month Published March 30, 2010 By Sharon Adams 17th Training Wing/Sexual Assault Response Coordinator GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The theme of Sexual Assault month is "Hurts one. Affects all...Preventing sexual assault is every ones duty." A sexual assault affects the victim, their families, friends, colleagues, neighbors and anyone else who crosses their path. A victim may experience fear, shock, powerlessness, shame, guilt, anger, grief and loss. There is a wave of emotions a victim may go through after a sexual assault. It will impact their life, performance and ability to continue never being the same person they were before the sexual assault. Before we can stop sexual assault from happening we must all put our heads together and understand that as a community we don't have to tolerate the behavior. Within the military there are core values airman in uniform strive to live by. As a civilian it is with great honor that I work alongside such a great and respectable population of people. As a team we can change the outlook on sexual assault. In working with the SARC office I have not found a cause that accounts for sexual assault. A combination of forces increases the risk of sexual assault such as drinking, drugs and going out alone. The chance of an assault occurring is reduced by staying sober and going out with friends. A good wingman can largely determine whether or not sexual assault will be committed. When it occurs, the spectators normally ask, "What could the victim have done differently?" or "What's wrong with the perpetrator?" Either way, the focus is often at the individual level. Our individual outlooks are shaped by family values, relationships, community exposure, what we watch on television and basic social factors. The extent of oppression and gender inequality used in advertisements such as billboards and music videos determine how people dress and talk. The influence of these factors beyond the individual can be so powerful that, it is unrealistic to expect that people will change their behavior easily when so many forces in the social, cultural, and physical environment do not promote such change. Norms are one of the most powerful social and community influences in shaping behavior. They are guidelines in behavior which people generally conform to and they allow disapproval of deviance. More than a habit, norms are often based in culture and tradition. They are our attitudes, beliefs and standards that we live by. They are the way in which the environment tells people what is acceptable and unacceptable. We must acknowledge and change these norms if we are to make positive strides in preventing sexual assault. The objective is to create and sustain healthy norms in our communities. We have to hold individual perpetrators accountable and provide quality services for victims. Our community needs a comprehensive prevention strategy. As a community we must become active bystanders and strong wingmen. We must speak up, intervene and take back the norm of respect, safety, equality and healthy relationships. Remember "Hurts one. Affects all...Preventing sexual assault is every ones duty."