Sexual assault prevention is focus of Fort Valley town hall meeting

A town hall meeting aimed at preventing sexual assaults of young people is being held Wednesday at a Fort Valley church, part of a series of meetings planned by the newly formed Central Georgia Violence Prevention Council.

The meeting is from 6-7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Fort Valley, 209 S. Miller St. The meeting will feature a panelist discussion. Panelists include law enforcement officers, attorneys, a victim's advocate and two teens.

"This meeting will give us the opportunity to start a conversation among young people, parents, officials and other community members about the realities of sexual assault involving young people, as well as the availability of community resources and services that can help," said Heather Carr, a prevention coordinator the Warner Robins-based nonprofit Hodac.

The group provides education, prevention and intervention services and programs for crime victims as well as those dealing with drug addiction and other issues. The violence prevention coalition was formed through a $15,000 grant awarded to Hodac.

Through the meeting, Carr said, "We hope to raise awareness of the risks of sexual assault involving young people and to encourage broader use of the many resources that are available to youth, parents, and the community."

According to a National Crime Victimization Survey, there were 300,170 reports of rape and other sexual assaults in the U.S. in 2014.

Women were 10 times more likely to be victimized than men. Most victims were females younger than 24, and more than one-third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult. These numbers don't take into account the 65 to 80 percent of sexual assaults that go unreported, a Hodac release stated.

The Fort Valley Police Department had 15 reports of sexual assault in the past five years, according to figures provided by Fort Valley law enforcement agencies to Hodac. Most of them involved teenagers or young adults. Two sexual assaults were reported to the Fort Valley State University Police Department in the last five years.

Among the questions expected to be asked of panelists at the meeting are:

What can the Fort Valley community, including youths, parents and other residents, do to reduce cases of sexual assault?

What can young people do to reduce their risk of sexual assault?

If someone becomes a victim of sexual assault or already has been, what are the steps he or she should take in the aftermath?

In addition to sexual assault, the coalition is focusing on bullying and other youth violence. Future town hall meetings in Hodac's primary service area of Houston and Peach are expected to focus on one or all three of those topics, Carr said.

In addition, other spin-off events from the coalition are planned. One such program that offers personal safety training for young people is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at Christian Fellowship Church, 621 Walnut St., Warner Robins.

The "Safe Like a Kid" program is geared for youths ages 10 to 19.

Topics are expected to include Internet crimes and social media safety, underage drinking and the effects of drugs, and keeping safe in public places.

Representatives from social service agencies, churches, law enforcement, schools and other community agencies make up the growing coalition.

"It's really needed ... for the community to come together to not only support our young people but also to educate them," said NeCole Bartlett, Hodac's associate executive director.

For more information about the meeting, the coalition or to find help after being sexually assaulted, contact Hodac at 478-953-5675.

This story was originally published November 29, 2015 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Sexual assault prevention is focus of Fort Valley town hall meeting ."