Assault prevention for teen girls a big topic

By Rev. Laura S. Hattier
Special to the Coastal Point

Assault: a topic that is unpleasant to think about yet even more uncomfortable to discuss.

Nevertheless, whether we want to recognize it or not, assault is a very real danger to our youth. Unfortunately, persons between the ages of 12 and 19 experience the highest rate of assault crimes in our nation.

Worse yet, 70 percent of assaulted teens knew their attacker very well. Studies show that 1 in every 10 dating relationships involves forced violence at one time or the other. And stunningly, some 43 percent of assaults happen right within the victim’s own home.

A teen girl’s use of drugs and alcohol greatly increase her chances of being attacked. Keeping company with those who are using drugs and alcohol further increases the odds of being victimized.

Teen girls who have been assaulted may have a flux of beliefs and feelings about what has happened to them. They may feel that since the assault left no permanent physical damage, they can, and will just “get over” it.

Feelings that they may have deserved the attack are not uncommon. Unfortunately, females have a tendency to fail to report assaults for fear of being blamed for provoking the attack, or for fear of not being believed.

Sadly, recovering from an incident of being assaulted is not as straightforward as one might think. Nearly 30 percent of girls who survive a sexual assault acquire post-traumatic stress syndrome. This is a condition where the victim re-experiences the trauma over and over through flashbacks, nightmares and or mental images of the incident.

In my own experience of talking with teens, as well as adult women, a sexual assault is something one can never really just “get over.”

On Sunday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m., Dagsboro Church of God (DCOG) will be holding an assault prevention seminar for teen girls and their mothers.

This is part of our Mission Possible (MP) series. Through our MP meetings, we discuss intense female issues from the perspective of prevention. We at DCOG feel that if these meetings spare even just one girl from an avoidable trauma, then our efforts are worthwhile.

We are very proud to have forensic nurse Debra Holbrock from Nanticoke Memorial Hospital as our guest speaker. A member from our Youth Ministry, Anne Thompson, will be sharing from the perspective of a young woman. I will be concluding the evening with a brief message: Personal Boundaries from a Biblical perspective.

Looking a head, this winter we will be discussing ironic realities of intimacy during dating, teen motherhood and self esteem. The dates for the sessions are Feb. 25, March 25 and April 29, 2007. Admission is free and open to any female over the age of 12. Call DCOG at (302) 732-6550 for further information.