Pee Dee men standing up to help end sexual violence
This spring, Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault (PDC) launched the 100 Man Campaign. The campaign invites male leaders in the region to contribute to sexual assault prevention efforts by donating at least $100 and, as PDC Board Chair Irby Wilson says, “by standing against sexual violence – neither participating in it nor tolerating it by others, speaking up to stop language and actions that demean or blame victims, and modeling positive behavior every day in every place.”
With each commitment, the call for all men to take a visible role in ending sexual violence across the region is confirmed and magnified. Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace was among the first to join the 100 Man Campaign. “It is the mission of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to protect and defend the rights of all our citizens,” said Wallace. “As a Sheriff, a father, and a husband I stand against sexual assault. I strongly encourage all men to stand with me and speak out against sexual assault.”
Preventing sexual violence prevents suffering and saves communities a great deal of money. In an April report issued by The Preventative Journal of Medicine entitled: “Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults,” the per-victim lifetime cost of rape is $122,461 due to impaired physical and mental health, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs from to society. The cost does not include a “monetized version of victim’s pain and suffering.” The report notes that these per-victim dollar amounts can be interpreted as “the cost averted” when an instance of rape is prevented.
Most men never commit an act of rape/sexual assault, but statistics show that the overwhelming majority of rapists are male. Men are also victims of sexual violence: RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) reports one in six men experiencing sexual violence before they turn 18 and one in 33 facing rape in their lifetime. At some point in every man’s life, someone close to him will likely disclose that they are a survivor of sexual violence. Men must be prepared to respond with compassion and understanding.
Pee Dee Coalition, supported in part by the United Way, offers the region’s only staffed 24-hour crisis line for victims of sexual and family violence at 800-273-1820; individual and group counseling; medical, legal and criminal justice advocacy and sexual assault prevention programs:
•R.O.A.R. (Reducing Our Assault Risk) a forum for engaging today’s youth and young adults in healthy conversations about sex and sexual violence
•R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) training for women in self-defense against various types of assault by utilizing easy, effective and proven techniques
•Men’s Roundtable: Beyond the Locker Room, a private conversation among men to understand the issues associated with sexual violence and its prevention
To take the 100 Man pledge and make your donation visit www.peedeecoalition.org. To volunteer, schedule a Men’s Roundtable, or request more information about this campaign, email 100Men@peedeecoalition.org.