Struggles with Sexual Assault for Minority Individuals
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Sexual Assault Lawyer. Unfortunately, sexual assault continues to be a problem in our society. While there are numerous efforts underway to address this issue, many people still feel reluctant to come forward and tell their story. Furthermore, there could be larger issues of under-reporting of sexual assault as it pertains to individuals who belong to minority groups.
Access to Resources
One of the issues that women of color may face regarding sexual assault is access to resources. In general, women of color may not have access to the same number of resources as women of European descent. For example, women of color may have more trouble getting into college. They may not have the finances or the backing of social resources that provide assistance to people who have experienced sexual assault. Furthermore, women of color may feel pressure from their local community to stay silent or to back down. Some people may think that it is easier to remain quiet or they could fear retribution; however, reporting a sexual assault will help to provide closure to a serious incident.
Pressure to Stay Silent?
This may surprise some people but there can be pressure on sexual assault targets, in particular women of color, to remain silent after an assault has occurred. Some people may say that “it doesn’t necessarily need to be reported,” or “do you really want to involve the authorities?” or, possibly, “could you have misinterpreted what happened?” While those offering up these excuses may have their heart in the right place, everyone who has been a target of assault deserves to be heard and deserves justice. In addition, remaining silent could lead to a future assault happening to someone else or to serious mental health issues for the person who has experienced the assault.
The Solution is to Speak Out
The only way that this issue is going to go away is if the community starts to listen to people who have experienced assault. If they feel like someone is listening, they are more likely to come forward. This will bring an end to the community pressure to stay silent and will lead to more resources for people who have experienced sexual assault. If the reporting rates rise, everyone will be forced to recognize the seriousness of this issue, in particular for those of minority descent. The first step is to speak out. Someone is listening and everyone will be heard.
Sacramento Sexual Assault Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Sexual Assault Lawyer. Sexual assault continues to persist as a significant problem in society. Anybody struggling with sexual assault in any way should contact me for some free, friendly advice. Please reach out to me today at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 today.
I am an honored inductee of the California region’s Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This includes a select legal group of injury advocates who have been rated with the country’s top trial attorneys. The lawyers in our group have earned verdicts and negotiated settlement agreements in excess of $1 Million dollars.
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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Distant by Mark J Sebastian. CC BY-SA 2.0
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