from RAINN:

Calls to sex abuse hotlines rise sharply; experts cite falling
'barriers'
> High-profile cases thought to be a factor
>
> By Janet Kornblum
> USA TODAY
>
>
> Calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline are up 24% for the first
> three
> months this year compared with the same period last year, the Rape,
> Abuse &
> Incest National Network reports.
>
> The hotline, which directs callers to more than 1,000 local centers
> around
> the country, is reporting the numbers today.
>
> It attributes the increase to news coverage of the child sexual abuse
> scandal in the Catholic Church as well as other high-profile incidents,
> including reported sexual assaults in the U.S. Air Force Academy.
>
> The church scandal ''brought a lot of attention to rape and sexual
> assaults,'' says Jamie Zuieback, spokeswoman for the network.
>
> Counselors expected calls to level off, but they have continued to
> climb --
> perhaps because of other news, including the kidnapping of Salt Lake
> City
> teen Elizabeth Smart; the child sex scandal surrounding film director
> Roman
> Polanski; and allegations of rape at the Air Force Academy. TV shows
> focusing on sexual abuse also prompt people to call, she says.
>
> ''All of this media attention helps contribute to the public's
> understanding
> of rape as a serious and violent crime,'' Zuieback says.
>
> ''One of the biggest barriers to reporting is people feeling ashamed,
> people
> feeling that nothing will be done. Attitudes are starting to change.''
> The
> media coverage, she says, ''makes it easier for somebody to pick up the
> phone, make the call and get help.''
>
> Counselors across the country also are seeing higher numbers.
>
> ''The caseload has definitely increased,'' says Nancee Brown of the
> Center
> for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, Ill. ''I'm hoping it's because more
> people are wanting to report it and not keep the secret.''
>
> Not all the cases being reported are new; some may be childhood
> incidents
> the victim has kept secret for years.
>
> Angie Johnson Smith of the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual
> Assault in
> Tucson says calls have been up 15% to 20% over the past year and a
> half.
>
> ''It used to be that people would just whisper about rape because it
> was
> shameful. Now it's treated as a straightforward story. There's less
> stigma
> attached generally.''
>
> Jeri Elster of Los Angeles became a victim's rights advocate after she
> was
> raped in 1992. The system today is far from perfect, she says, but
> it's a
> lot better than 10 years ago, when people often expected rape victims
> to
> keep quiet.
>
> ''A lot of people will not get brave until they figure that they're not
> alone and somebody's going to listen to them,'' she says.
>
> Though more people may be coming forward to report sexual crimes, the
> Department of Justice estimates that sexual assault and rape of
> victims 12
> and older actually decreased by 56% from 1993 through 2001. That
> number is
> consistent with other types of violent crime, which has decreased
> about 50
> percent during the same period, the department says.
>
> Researchers also estimate that new cases of child sexual abuse are
> down 40%
> from 1992 because of better prevention, reporting and prosecution.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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--
Valerie L'Herrou
Coalition Projects Director
Virginians Aligned Against Sexual Assault
434.979.9002
http://www.vaasa.org