Women of the World: Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center

A place where survivors of sexual assault and abuse can heal and mobilize the community toward action to end sexual violence.

In August 1981, the Advisory Board and Coordinating Council of Lake County Health Department formed a Rape Victim Advocacy Task Force to study the need for rape victim advocacy services in Lake County. Original Task Force members represented agencies, both public and private, which were involved or potentially interested in providing services to rape victims. The Task Force began meeting in January 1982 and concluded its needs assessment one year later. Their findings documented that current services to rape victims in Lake County were inadequate and fragmented.

Joe Howard, Director of Development, has taken programs to a higher level, encouraging & advocating for programs that educate men.

10 Things Men Can Do To Prevent Gender Violence

· Approach gender violence as a MEN'S issue involving men of all ages and socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers.

· If a brother, friend, classmate, or teammate is abusing his female partner -- or is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general -- don't look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don't know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. DON'T REMAIN SILENT.

· Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don't be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them.

· If you suspect that a woman close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help.

· If you are emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually abusive to women, or have been in the past, seek professional help NOW.

· Be an ally to women who are working to end all forms of gender violence. Support the work of campus-based women's centers. Attend "Take Back the Night" rallies and other public events. Raise money for community-based rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters. If you belong to a team or fraternity, or another student group, organize a fundraiser.

· Recognize and speak out against homophobia and gay-bashing. Discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays are wrong in and of themselves. This abuse also has direct links to sexism (e.g. the sexual orientation of men who speak out against sexism is often questioned, a conscious or unconscious strategy intended to silence them. This is a key reason few men do speak out).

· Attend programs; take courses, watch films, and read articles and books about multicultural masculinities, gender inequality, and the root causes of gender violence. Educate yourself and others about how larger social forces affect the conflicts between individual men and women.

· Don't fund sexism. Refuse to purchase any magazine, rent any video, subscribe to any Web site, or buy any music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media.

· Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don't involve degrading or abusing girls and women. Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs, including anti-sexist men's programs. Lead by example.

Zacharias Center's services are free and are available to all survivors regardless of race, gender, language, ability, sexual orientation, or religion.

Zacharias Center seeks to be an active presence in the community to speak up in support of and in partnership with all survivors of sexual violence. Zacharias Center provides services to the community at large and to other professionals and service providers to enhance the understanding of the impact of sexual violence on everyone.

Zacharias's constantly growing services presently include: 24-hour hotline; 24-hour medical and legal advocacy; individual and group counseling for survivors and their loved ones; training of professionals who work with victims (i.e., police, emergency room personnel, court services staff); children's counseling program; Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program in both Spanish and English throughout the Lake County School System; and community education which includes sexual assault awareness, risk reduction, and information on incest. They have expanded their service and outreach to the Spanish-speaking community with bicultural and bilingual staff members in the Community Education, Advocacy, and Clinical programs. Today, 16 full-time and 2 part-time employees along with 75-150 active volunteers staff Zacharias Center.

Remember, sexual assault hurts everyone, not just the victim.