BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and local organizations are teaming up with the nonprofit Open Door Network to spread a message of hope, as well as share resources with the public and people who might be looking for help.
Survivors, including California State University Bakersfield Campus Advocate Casey Harris, are taking control of their stories and speaking out about their experiences.
"Sexual assault is never our fault. It's never the fault of the victim or the survivor, and I think that really sends that message," said Harris.
Harris shares her story as a way to encourage others to come forward and seek help.
"I'm not as alone as I thought I was, but I should be," said Harris. "This shouldn't happen to so many people. This shouldn't be a rite of passage for women, for men. We need to do a lot better. One in four, one in seven? That is way too high."
As a way to show solidarity, jeans decorated with written messages from survivors and local artists were displayed at ODNs community support event. Things like "numb," "silence," "did I say yes?" and "my jeans my choice" were just some of the statements written on the clothes.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, more than 51 percent of female victims of sexual assault are raped by an intimate partner and nearly 41 percent by an acquaintance.
More than 52 percent of male victims are raped by an acquaintance, and more than 15 percent by a stranger.
Lauren Skidmore with the Open Door Network says 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men experience sexual abuse.
"I think it's important for us to always lean into their viewpoint and their experience, and for us to remember that yes, you can overcome some type of situation or event, but the experience is real, and providing support and safety nets for those individuals is very important," said Skidmore.
Harris says these experiences should not define victims, but encourage survivors to move forward.
"Just because something horrible has happened, it doesn't mean that it's always going to feel horrible. It doesn't mean it's always going to feel bad," said Harris.
Throughout the month of April, the Open Door Network plans to continue their efforts by accepting hygiene-related donations for women. ODN will also host an event centered around survivors on National Denim Day, April 26.
