Denim Day 2017

Hello Everyone,

Today is Denim Day and I would be remiss if I didn’t take some time to support the cause by helping bring awareness to the terrible problem of sexual violence.

Sexual violence happens to both women and men, and it’s an issue that requires both women and men to end. As with most everything in life, education is key. I want to share just some of the statistics on rape and sexual violence here in America. My information has come from denimdayinfo.org.

Nearly 1 in 5 women in a national survey say they have been raped (CDC)

1 in 10 have been raped by their boyfriend or husband (CDC)

82% of rapes committed by an intimate are not reported to the police (RAINN- Dept. of Justice)

Only 3 out of every 100 rapists will ever spend a single day in prison (RAINN- Dept. of Justice)

1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while in college (White House Report Rape & SA: A Renewed Call to Action)

28% of male victims of rape experience their first rape when they were 10 years of age or younger (CDC)

Every 4 hours a rape is reported in the Unites States Armed Forces (Military Rape Crisis Center)

Women in the US Military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan than killed by enemy fire. (Military Rape Crisis Center)

Please visit the website that I’ve linked above for a more thorough list of statistics. Obviously, our society is in trouble. Just saying no is not the solution. Prosecution alone is not the answer. As a society, a world of humans, we need to be open to discussions and teaching our boys and girls what is healthy and acceptable. More than that though, we need to foster love and counseling and education through prevention programs, but also within the family.

As a parent, I know it can be awkward. And no one thinks that their child will be a victim or a predator. Obviously there have been a lot of people who are wrong. I’ll be sharing this information with my students in order to foster some discussion. The site has a page to donate to the wonderful people who volunteer their time to help victims and create resources.

Let’s not make it our problem only if it hits home. Let’s be human together.