Minors accounting for unprecedented amount of calls to National Sexual Assault Hotline
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For the first time, minors are making up half of the victims receiving help from the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), this is directly related to COVID-19.
The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville said it expects Middle Tennessee to see a similar trend. Right now, SAC said kids make up 35 percent of the population it serves.
Lorraine McGuire, the vice president of development and marketing at SAC, said there’s been fewer reports of sexual abuse. But she said that’s bad news.
McGuire said with kids home from school, and perhaps stuck at home with their abusers, there are fewer adults noticing the warning signs. She believes that as quarantines end the numbers of reports will go up.
The trend has already started in that direction. Normally, McGuire said, they serve one person every other day or so. Over the weekend, she said they saw three.
“We are seeing an uptick, just in general,” McGuire said. “We’re hoping that’s because people know where to come.”
She said 90 percent of victims of childhood sexual abuse know their perpetrator well, like a neighbor or relative.
McGuire added SAC is changing the way it helps survivors moving forward. During the pandemic, SAC had to rely strongly on telehealth and teletherapy for survivors. She said that’s something SAC therapists will continue to use, especially to serve more rural areas.
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual assault and/or abuse, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline. It’s 800-656-HOPE. Find more information here.
