MARCH 7, 2011
If you’re a member of law enforcement or of the legal or medical communities, you may be looking at others to do the heavy lifting when April comes around. Even within our organizations, we’re often unsure of who should “own” Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But the truth is that we all do.
It shouldn’t just fall on the shoulders of the education, outreach or prevention specialists on your staff. And it shouldn’t just fall to the coalitions or the rape crisis & recovery centers. It is one of our key roles, to be sure, but this April and indeed every month, we need the concerted effort of everyone working in the field (and even those who don’t) to help end sexual violence in Maryland.
Whether you’re a patrol officer who mentors young men in your neighborhood or a lawyer who with a passionate argument informs a judge’s decision, you are helping to raise awareness about sexual violence in our communities. And we’ll take every bit of help that we can get.
This month, we invite you to learn more about sexual assault awareness, about the important role that you can play in your communities and about how the heavy lifting gets a little lighter if everyone pitches in. Thank you for doing your part to pitch in!
Warmest Regards,
Jennie Boden
Executive Director