COVINGTON, Ky. — April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Advocates at the Ion Center for Violence Prevention have been at work all month to shine a light on something that impacts so many.

What You Need To Know

  • April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

  • The Ion Center for Violence Prevention is working to bring awareness to the situation

  • 38% of women and 18% of men in Kentucky are affected

  • The Ion Center offers help and a 24-hour hotline

“What we know in Kentucky is that 38 percent of women and 18 percent of men will experience sexual violence in their lifetime," CEO Christy Burch said with the center.

Burch said they've been doing things to highlight how prevalent this is all month and want to bring awareness to sexual assault.

“It’s important to shine that light because it can be a really isolating form of violence and the more that we talk about it and raise awareness, the more people can access support and services and feel less alone," Burch said.

She's been in this line of work for 26 years and counting now, and said seeing victims triumph after something so traumatic keeps her in her role.

“I can remember the very first story and the very first person that I went to court with. I can see her face. I am propelled by the thousands of stories I’ve heard over the years and the resiliency and the trauma and the hope and the work they do.”

She continues to push and fight for others and also stresses efforts also expand into the communities they serve, furthering education on bystander awareness and how you can be a role in helping potentially save someone's life.

“Know their local resources, their local crisis centers, and domestic violence programs so they can refer people. That’s something we can do. Letting the community know that violence isn’t okay and we all can do something about it is another important step," Burch said.

Burch said it's about the 3 Ds in part of their education efforts: doing something directly, causing a distraction, or delegating to someone else who may be able to step in and help. She also mentioned the Green Dot initative to bring bystander training into community groups. The Ion Center does have a 24-hour hotline-- the Northern Kentucky number is 859-491-3335 and the Buffalo Trace number is 606-564-6708. More information about their center can be found here.

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