By Devin Herenda
April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a chance to learn more about preventing sexual violence.
Kimberly Johnson is the CEO of Children’s Legacy Center and One Safe Place in Redding. Both organizations offer comprehensive services to victims of various types of abuse, including sexual assault.
Johnson told us the One Safe Place team sends about one advocate a week to local hospitals to assist sexual assault victims.
She said, within the last four years, Children’s Legacy Center officials have facilitated over 600 forensic interviews of kids in the area who have been abused, and over 70% of these cases have involved sexual assault victims.
Johnson said this form of abuse can happen within any socioeconomic status and to any gender, with victims never being at fault.
“One of the main misconceptions that so many advocates have worked to overcome is that a victim of sexual assault somehow deserved that assault that happened to her, and that is simply not the case,” Johnson said.
She added, “We’re not going to be silent anymore, we’re not going to be quiet. This isn’t something that’s going to happen and not be talked about.”
Johnson told us the CLC staff has seen child sexual abuse be “quite prevalent” in Shasta County in the past year, and they’re dedicated to the safety and healing of those they serve.
In addition, the CEO noted that sexual assault victims can get support at any stage of their healing journey and reach out to their crisis hotline or get an advocate while visiting the emergency room.
“It’s pretty much guaranteed that somebody that you know has been impacted by sexual abuse or trauma,” Johnson said before adding, “Hold space knowing that we never know what somebody has been through.”
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