Originally Released on March 19, 2018
For Immediate Release
Coalitions urge officials to reject acts of domestic violence & sexual assault
HARRISBURG—The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) urge all Pennsylvanians to demand that their elected officials uphold the laws that govern the Commonwealth.
Victims of harassment, stalking and physical and sexual violence, and all people in the Commonwealth, must trust our leaders not only to promote public policies that protect victims, hold offenders accountable and enhance community safety, but also to conduct themselves in ways that demonstrate those values and commitments.
We’ve seen over and over again the devastating effects of domestic violence and sexual assault. The #MeToo movement has exposed the serious and widespread problem of sexual harassment and abuse in our communities and demonstrated that perpetration and victimization are common across all social divisions. PCADV serves nearly 90 thousand domestic violence victims in the Commonwealth each year.
The cost of domestic violence and sexual assault are significant--victims often lose educational and employment opportunities as well as income; they suffer from emotional and physical ailments including post-traumatic stress disorder and struggle with suicidal thoughts; and experience strained relationships with friends, family and children. It’s time that we start believing individual victims when they come forward.
The #MeToo movement has demonstrated that to do anything less only gives perpetrators the permission to continue to harm others. Most victims of sexual and domestic violence do not disclose or report their experiences right away – not to friends and family, nor to authorities. Delayed reports are normal and should be expected. Many victims eventually decide to tell what was done to them in an effort to protect others from enduring similar abuses.
We must no longer require multiple victims of a single perpetrator to come forward before we are willing to believe the allegations might be true. One person’s experience should be enough to warrant our attention.
The well-documented pervasiveness of sexual misconduct and assault, and domestic violence, in all of our cultural institutions is enough to lend credibility to individual complaints.As long as domestic violence and sexual assault are allowed to continue, and those who have perpetrated those acts are allowed to serve, we send a clear message to victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, and exploitation that they will not be taken seriously.
That’s a truth we should not continue to accept. We all have a role to play in making our communities safer and more supportive of survivors—including our elected officials. Only then will survivors find real justice.
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About PCAR:
Founded in 1975, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape advocates for the rights and needs of sexual assault victims and works to end sexual violence. PCAR partners with a network of rape crisis programs to bring help, hope and healing to more than 30,000 women, men and children around issues of sexual violence in Pennsylvania. To learn more, go to pcar.org.
About PCADV:
Founded in 1976, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence is the oldest statewide domestic violence coalition in the nation. Each year, free and confidential services are provided to nearly 90,000 victims of domestic violence and their children through a network of 60 community-based programs serving all 67 counties in the commonwealth. For more information, visit pcadv.org.