The Seattle Women’s Commission (SWC) recognizes the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Beginning in 2001, SAAM is a time to call attention to the need for greater awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. In order to understand the root causes of sexual violence, it is imperative to identify and resist the systems of harm and oppression – sexism, racism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism, among others – that allow this pervasive problem to persist. The re-envisioned Sexual Violence Continuum (Guy, 2006) is a visual representation of the connection between a number of systems of oppression and acts of sexual violence.
While no one is free from risk of sexual violence, certain groups have significantly higher rates of sexual violence. One in five women in the United States experiences rape or attempted rape in their lifetime compared to one in fourteen men. People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or gender non-confirming are nearly four times as likely to be victims of violent crime including rape and sexual assault than non-LGBTQIA+ people. Women of color are at higher risk of sexual violence than white women and Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual violence than other races. The effects of sexual assault on survivors are innumerable and have a particular impact on mental health. Survivors of sexual assault are: 1) Three times more likely to suffer from depression; 2) Six times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder; and 3) Four times more likely to contemplate suicide.
Each of us on the SWC are either survivors ourselves or are closely connected to friends and loved ones who have experienced sexual assault. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is personal for us, and we are particularly grateful for the work of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs in Seattle, King County, and the State of Washington. We must all be invested in ending sexual violence and the systems that uphold it by educating ourselves, taking action, and believing survivors.
The Seattle Women’s Commission invites you to join us in fighting for a future free of sexual violence.
As part of our work to support survivors and their communities, the Seattle Women’s Commission compiled a selection of resources for survivors of sexual violence and their allies.
Resources
National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://www.rainn.org/national-resources-sexual-assault-survivors-and-their-loved-ones
Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline to talk to a trained staff member from your local sexual assault service provider. Available 24/7.
Phone: 1-800-656-4673
Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
https://www.wcsap.org/help/support
The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) is a non-profit organization that strives to unite agencies engaged in the elimination of sexual violence. WCSAP provides information, training and expertise to program and individual members who support victims, family and friends, the general public, and all those whose lives have been affected by sexual assault.
Phone: 360-754-7583
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
Whether you have experienced a sexual assault yourself, or want to know more about how to help your child, a friend or someone else, we’re here 24/7 with support and information to empower you to take your next steps.
Phone: 425-226-5062
24-hour Sexual Assault Resource Line: 1-888-998-6423
The Northwest Network
We support queer & trans survivors in reconnecting to their self-determination through advocacy-based counseling and community education.
Phone: 206-568-7777
24 Hour Hotline: 1-866-427-4747
Refugee Women’s Alliance
Through providing social services, advocacy, and family law legal services, ReWA has empowered thousands of women to recover from violence and live healthy lives that are full of possibility.
Phone: 206-721-0243
Peace in the Home Helpline: 1-888-847-7205
Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center
https://depts.washington.edu/uwhatc/
Harborview Abuse & Trauma Center is a certified Community Sexual Assault Program (CSAP) and a designated Crime Victim Service Center CVSC). We provide services to individuals and families impacted by all varieties of crime and interpersonal violence.
24 Hour Hotline: 206-744-1600
Abused and Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services
Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services empowers Deaf and DeafBlind survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment to transform their lives, while striving to change the beliefs and behaviors that foster and perpetuate violence. We provide comprehensive services to individuals and families, community education, and advocacy on systems and policy issues.
24 Hour Hotline: 206-812-1001
Phone: 206-922-7088
API Chaya
Free, confidential, and language-accessible wraparound services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
Phone: 206-467-9976
Helpline: 206-325-0325 (M-F, 10am-4pm)
Mother Nation
Mother Nation is a non-profit 501 (C) 3 grassroots Native American organization which offers culturally informed healing services, advocacy, mentorship, and homeless prevention in the State of Washington. Mother Nation’s culturally informed healing services are custom designed and provided by credentialed Native American Elders who apply culture to clinical practice.
Phone: 206-722-2321
Sophia Way
The Sophia Way Forward, a 360-degree approach, focuses on creating partnerships to drive solutions to support those experiencing homelessness; think beyond shelter to provide a continuum of care; and build capacity and resources leveraging the expertise of the community and staff.
Phone: 425-463-6285
Additional resources and information on the City of Seattle’s key partners in combatting sexual violence can be found here.
