April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month

By Lisa Moore
440th AW PAO

April 21, 2011

Photo by Lisa Moore/440 AW PAO Technical Sgt. Nisha White, left, 440th Airlift Wing victims advocate and bystander intervention trainer speaks with Angela Holmes, Fort Bragg Army Community Service domestic violence trainer about some of the resources available to victims of sexual assault at the “Sole Survivor” display. This past week in observance of April being Sexual Assault Awareness month, the Pope Field Sexual Assault Response Coordinators Office in conjunction with the Fort Bragg Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program team, displayed 192 pair of shoes to represent the number of sexual assaults reported in the state of North Carolina in 2009. The display was set up at the Pope Field Shoppette.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the Pope Field Sexual Assault Response Coordinators Office set out to spread the word by sponsoring the “Sole Survivor” shoe display.

There were big shoes, little shoes and medium sized shoes that filled one of the prime parking spaces at the Pope Field Shoppette April 13 — 192 pair, of shoes to be exact. The shoes were on display to represent the 192 cases of rape that were reported to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation in April 2009.

“Sole Survivor symbolizes victims of this type of crime taking the necessary steps toward healing and empowerment,” said Capt. Tyeshia King, the Pope Field Sexual Assault Response coordinator.

According to the 2011 National Sexual Assault Awareness Month proclamation, signed by President Obama, sexual assault is the most under reported crime in America. Nearly one in six American women will experience an attempted or completed rape at some point in her life. For some groups, rates of sexual violence are even higher. The 2010 statistics from the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault say that at least 80 percent of all sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance of the victim.

This year marks the seventh year the Department of Defense has recognized Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The DoD theme “Hurts on, affects all,” was designed to point out how sexual assault affects not only the victim, but the department as well. The Air Force’s slogan supporting the DoD theme is “Real Wingmen Act!” It was developed to emphasize the duty of all Airmen to intervene whenever they see questionable behavior.

The Air Force wants to enlighten and assist victims and also get all Airmen engaged in helping with the problem with Bystander Intervention Training.

“This class provides Airmen with skills to intervene in potential assaults.” said SARC victim advocate Tech. Sgt. Nisha White, who is also 440th Airlift Wing bystander intervention trainer. White was also at the shoe display answering questions, passing out literature and sharing knowledge.

“There really is power in one. There is a lot one bystander can do,” she said. “As one person, you can call the police or you can cause a commotion. Perpetrators of sexual assault rely on bystander inaction with the hopes they can commit this crime and not get caught.

“Watching out for your wingman means watching out for them in all settings,” she said. “If all wingmen intervened when someone started to cross the line, we could change the outcome. A lot of people say ‘Well what if I am wrong?’ Well, so what. What if the next day that person that you intervened for says “thank you.”

As part of bystander intervention training, White says she not only teaches what to do during an assault, but also how to potentially prevent the assault.

“If you are the person with the perpetrator, you could discourage the action. What if you had the courage to just stop and say ‘What are you doing? Let’s not do this.’ It seems small, but you have power to make a difference.”

The “Sole Survivor” shoe display was a collaborative effort with the Fort Bragg Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program team and there were not only women’s shoes on display.
“There are men’s shoes out here as well,” said Sgt. Emerson Hazzard 82nd Airborne Division Master resiliency trainer staff, who was also on site to educate and answer questions. “Society sends men a message that we can’t be assaulted and as a result, only a minute amount of men report it.”

The parking space was just large enough for this display. The shoes, which were donated by members of the community, were in turn donated to the City Rescue Mission of Fayetteville, after the exhibit. The City Rescue Mission is nonprofit organization that assists with the transition process of the homeless community and helps to expedite resources for both the homeless and low income communities.

“The truth is, if there were a pair of shoes out here for every instance, there would be thousands. This number of shoes only represents the number incidents reported in North Carolina,” said Hazzard.

The Air Force and Department of Defense are committed to stamping out sexual assault. For more information about the sexual assault awareness program, call Capt. Tyeshia King, Pope Field sexual assault response coordinator, at 394-4551.

To reach the SARC hotline, call 394-SARC (7272).

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