Tornado Alley (PROG)

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Looking at rape in terms of an epidemic

.. the world needs more Josie Slawiks and less Donald Trumps ..

October 5, 2012 Williamson County Politics

AUSTIN (KXAN) – “Are you safe at the moment?”

It is a question Josie Slawik has asked thousands of strangers over the phone. For 19 years, she has answered the 24-hour hotline at SafePlace .. http://www.safeplace.org/ — offering support for anyone who has been beaten, raped or sexually assaulted.

Josie has been in their shoes. She started out as the one calling for help.

“My ex-husband was very abusive. At the time I went to the shelter I had broken ribs,” said Slawik. “It’s kind of like being able to give back what was given to me. That chance to be free.”

The organization in East Austin offers food, shelter and counseling for victims and their families. Last year alone, they accompanied 399 sexual assault survivors to local hospitals for a rape exam.

“That is equivalent to a rape a day in this community,” said SafePlace Executive Director Julia Spann.

SafePlace Counseling Services Manager Emily LeBlanc wrote a recent blog post .. http://www.safeplace.org/Blog#emily .. to help put those numbers into perspective by pointing out rape affects more people than most epidemics.

“Wouldn’t we be upset if one in four girls were infected with the West Nile Virus, which is a horrible thing, but that’s how many girls are impacted by rape and sexual assault,” said Spann.

Like some illnesses, rape can cause long-term effects such as depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, drug and alcohol abuse and even suicide.

According to SafePlace, in 2011 there were 816 rapes and sexual assaults reported to Austin police.

Studies show fewer than 20 to 40 percent of victims come forward which suggests there may have been between 2,000 to 4,000 people raped or sexually assaulted in Travis County.

You can read the rest of this article at: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/looking-at-rape-in-terms-of-an-epidemic

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Survey: 15 percent of women on UT campus report being raped
AP/KXAN Published: March 24, 2017, 12:26 pm Updated: March 24, 2017, 10:23 pm
http://kxan.com/2017/03/24/survey-15-percent-of-women-on-ut-campus-report-being-raped/