So, what's been keeping you busy?

When people hear that I am volunteering at the Crisis Center as a Crisis Line Counselor they get this kind of funny look on their face. The look is somewhere between amazement, admiration, confusion, with a tinge of repulsion. They often say,Wow, that’s interesting,” and not much more. They rarely ask why I’ve decided to volunteer there, or what it’s actually like to volunteer there. No one really wants to discuss it. They just skirt right around it, like I’ve dropped a bomb on the conversation. I don't think people like to be reminded that sexual assault is something that far too many people have to deal with.

That’s the exact reason why I decided to volunteer there. Sexual assault happens. It happens to 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men. Think about what that means. It means that whether or not they’ve told you, you know someone who has been affected by this problem. It is a rampant problem too, especially on college campuses. That is why not only do we first and foremost need to educate people about this problem, but we also need to provide support for those people who have been victims.

The statistics regarding sexual assaults are frightening, but they become even more so when it comes to people with developmental disabilities. If you are a woman with developmental disabilities, there is an 85-95% chance you will be sexually assaulted sometime during your life. What makes this even more unsettling is that a lot of the people with these disabilities don’t have the capacity to understand what is happening to them, or if they do understand, the capacity to tell someone what is happening to them. The fact that an individual would take advantage of another person like that, a person who they know cannot comprehend the situation or fight back, is sickening to me.

I’m really looking forward to this experience because I want to reach out and help people. No one should have to be a victim of sexual assault. No one should have to be a victim and suffer alone. People often are ashamed that something like that could happen to them. They often become depressed and isolated. Sometimes it helps just having someone supportive to talk to. What I love even more is that as Crisis Line Counselors, we’re trained to empower people. Empowerment is the best thing you can give a victim. That’s why it’s important the Rape Crisis Center exists, and why I'm glad to be volunteering there.