April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Survivors of sexual assault range from elders in nursing homes to Dru Sjodin (stranger assault) to any of the small children you hear about each day being assaulted by a member of their family. These survivors need your understanding, not sympathy, in their transformation from victim to survivor. This understanding can come from an awareness of the dynamics of sexual assault, a past victimization in your own life or maybe you have a compassionate personality that is able to listen without passing judgment on the survivor or their experiences. Sexual assault is preventable, not inevitable. Preventive measures such as self-defense classes, abstaining from debilitating chemicals, learning about the dynamics of sexual assault and speaking to young people about sexual assault are great insurance in keeping sexual assault from happening to you or others close to you. Raevette LoonanSouthwest Crisis CenterLuverne
