April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Victim services staff dispel myths, raise awareness

By Valorie Brecht April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Staff at the Personal Development Center (PDC) – Orenda Center in Marshfield say the need for victim services is only increasing, which is why it is critical to support local victim services providers.

Founded in 1972, PDC is a private, non-profit victim services agency offering case management, advocacy and prevention education to individuals and families in Clark, Wood and Marathon counties. The Marshfield facility provides emergency shelter for victims and children who need to get out of an abusive situation, with seven rooms and maximum capacity of 35. Currently all the rooms are filled. In 2023, PDC provided 5,459 shelter stays, equal to a shelter population of approximately 15 people per night. That was a 42% increase from the year before, in which PDC provided 3,845 stays.

In addition to its shelter services, PDC offers domestic abuse and sexual assault advocacy, senior and vulnerable population advocacy, legal assistance, safe exchanges and supervised visits, prevention education and community awareness (including informational talks in schools), support groups and 24-hour crisis response.

Last year, PDC served 535 adults and 590 youth, for a total of 1,125 program participants. In 2022 there were 746 participants and in 2021 there were 978 participants.

The crisis shelter in Marshfield opened in 2018. New this year, PDC employed two bilingual advocates who have been reaching out to the Hispanic community.

Abig part of what PDC does is connect people to resources and other agencies that can help them, as well as provide support to individuals referred from other agencies.

“We have great relationships with our community partners in Clark County. Post COVID, we’ve seen a lot more referrals from Clark County,” said PDC Executive Director Renee Schulz.

“We’ve had more referrals from the area schools, where we’ve seen children who were witness to sexual assault or domestic violence.”

As part of their advocacy work, PDC staff members will travel to the local schools to make it easier for youth to access services, such as individual support, crisis response, safety planning, coping skills, understanding consent, dating violence prevention and education.

“I’ll meet with a lot of youth who really don’t understand what may be going on in their life and how to identify or connect those dots that it’s not just normal; this isn’t normal for every kid to go through in terms of assault or domestic violence,” said victim services advocate Sam (first names only used for confidentiality reasons). “I’ve had a lot of conversations with youth or other participants where they’ll say, ‘I didn’t realize what I was living in’ or ‘I didn’t know this wasn’t healthy,’ so it’s really just understanding that.” Separating fact from fiction: What is domestic abuse and sexual assault?

In order for victims to break free of the cycle of violence and become empowered, they have to recognize the abuse for what it is, and they need the support of people around them. Some false statements that can serve as barriers to victims to getting help they need include: — “If you are not physically injured, it’s not abuse.” In reality, domestic abuse can take many forms, including physical but also sexual, psychological, emotional, financial or human trafficking. It is any pattern of behavior used to gain and maintain power and control over an intimate partner.

— “Abuse only happens to those who are poor.” Domestic abuse affects people across socioeconomic groups, from every ethnicity and background.

— “If it were that bad, then they would leave.” The victim may have legitimate fears for their own safety or that of their children or pets if they were to leave, based on threats made by the abuser. (There were 96 deaths related to domestic violence in Wisconsin in 2022, which includes both victims and perpetrators.) The victim also may be totally financially dependent on the abuser, meaning they have no resources to go out on their own. The abuser may also rely on emotional abuse, manipulation and gaslighting to convince the victim the abuse is their fault.

— “Men are not victims of domestic abuse.” Victims services advocate Mara said PDC sees victims who are men as well.

PDC defines sexual assault as “any type of unwanted sexual contact, including words or actions of a sexual nature against a person’s will or without their consent.” This includes rape, graphic language, sexual harassment, unwanted physical contact or sexual contact, exposure, voyeurism and sex trafficking.

If you know someone you suspect may be a victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault, there are steps you can take to help. The first step is to listen to the person’s story and let them know what happened to them is not their fault.

“We always want people to know that (the abuse) is never their fault. It’s not based on the clothes that they were wearing, or that they were at the wrong place at the wrong time kind of a thing, or they shouldn’t have gone to that party or whatever it might be. The only cause of sexual assault is having an individual who is willing to sexually assault someone. That’s the bottom line. Nothing that a victim says or does is going to cause sexual assault. It’s purely on the shoulders of those who are willing to assault someone,” said PDC Executive Director Renee Schulz.

You can also help a victim by encouraging them to talk to a professional and offering to go with them. Abuse thrives in secrecy and isolation.

“Always believe them and be a supportive listening ear. It’s OK to not have all the answers. Let them know that you’re there for them for whatever they need, and that it’s their decision as to how they want to proceed. Find out who that support person is — is there a parent, a school counselor, a teacher, a coach, somebody that they trust that they can talk to? Or they can reach out to an advocacy agency like PDC,” said Schulz.

PDC can be reached at 715-384-2971 during the office hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; or the 24/7 crisis line is available at 715-384-2971. People can also text 715-660-6813 after hours. All services are free and confidential.

Despite the significant need and challenges associated with their work, the victims services advocates say it’s all worth it to see people move from an unsafe situation to feeling safe, secure and able to move forward in life.

“The most important part is they’re empowering themselves to write their own story,” said Sam.

Fundraiser PDC will host its second annual “Kick Out Domestic Abuse Family Fun Day” at the Granton Community Park on May 18 as a fundraiser for all the programs and services it provides. The event will include a co-ed kickball tournament, with people encouraged to gather a group of at least 10 friends, family members or coworkers to compete on a team. Kids are welcome to participate as well. The emphasis will be on having fun and getting active. Registration is limited to the first 10 teams of 10 people to register.

New this year will be a bean bag tournament, with teams of two encouraged to sign up to play. There will also be lot of activities for families including raffle baskets, concessions, a bouncy house, DJ, dunk tank, face painting, prizes and more. The Granton Fire Department will have its trucks parked there for kids and adults to tour. Activities will begin at 10 a.m.

The PDC is seeking event sponsors, who will be recognized on PDC’s website, newsletter and Facebook page, and acknowledged with signage and loudspeaker announcements at the event. Donations are also being accepted, whether raffle baskets, gift cards/certificates or food items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, soda, water, popcorn and candy.

Volunteers are also needed to help with setup, cleanup, running carnival games, grilling or serving food, and supervising the bouncy houses and dunk tank.

For more information or to sign up to participate or volunteer, call 715-384-2971 or go to pdcmarshfield.org.