Victims of

sexual assault in Fayette County don't have to go through such a traumatic

experience on their own.

They get help

from the beginning from advocates from the Southern Crescent Sexual Assault

Center, who explain medical exam procedures at Fayette Community Hospital

and help support the victim's friends and family.

Advocates also

help victims navigate the criminal justice system and seek support through

counseling programs.

As center employee

Tara Samples noted, it can take three or more months after the incident

before a victim can even feel comfortable talking about it, and it can

take up to five years or more for them to truly "recover" from

the incident.

"There's

a lot of self-blame," Samples said. "The victims feel they can't

trust their own judgement. ... The victims think they are responsible."

That's partly

because statistics show 84 percent of sexual assault victims know their

attackers, Samples said.

And that compounds

the grief for those victims, who often see their attackers in their daily

lives, she added.

It's one of

the many reasons sexual assault is considered to be a significantly under-reported

crime, according to experts.

Fortunately

in Fayette County, every police agency have special officers designated

to investigate sex crimes, and that helps the process tremendously, said

center employee Tonya Burkett. And Fayette Community Hospital officials

have been very helpful too, said center executive director Jennifer Bivins.

But locally,

advocates don't meet as many victims at the hospital as they do through

the center's 24-hour crisis line, Bivins said.

"We'll

get a lot of calls after spring break," Bivins said, explaining that

teens and college-age adults are very susceptible to becoming victims

of sexual assault.

The center

is trying to focus more services on male victims of sexual assault although

they are typically overlooked by others.

In fact, center

employees are hoping to recruit more male volunteers to help with its

education programs, specifically at the high school level. The center

offers school programs for children as young as preschool with a "good

touch, bad touch" curriculum.

Other education

programs target middle school and college students.

Advocates are

available to speak at civic clubs and church groups to promote awareness

about the center's programs, personal safety tips and rape prevention.

The center

is a nonprofit agency with offices in Jonesboro and Henry County. The

24-hour crisis line phone number is 770-477-2177.

The center

needs volunteers to man the crisis lines and serve as victim advocates,

but people wishing not to work directly with victims can still help out

The next volunteer training courses are scheduled for June.

All of the

center's services are free.

A benefit concert

slated as part of observing April as sexual assault awareness month is

slated for Saturday, April 27, at Breakers Music Hall in Jonesboro. The

concert will feature Jeffrey Butts of Modern Hero, Eden and Roam.

Organizers

are also planning Wednesday, April 24, as a Denim Day where employers

who wish to participate collect a dollar from employees who want to wear

jeans to work that day to support sexual assault awareness.

On Friday,

May 17, a fund-raising golf tournament is planned at Lake Spivey Golf

Course.

For information,

call 770-603-4045.