Sexual assault is a serious crime.
It can happen anywhere, anytime and to anyone.
Do you know that there are things you as an individual can do to help stop an assault?
Knowing what to do and taking action makes you an active bystander. Again, from kissing to touching to having sexual intercourse – sexual contact of any kind with someone who has not given consent is sexual assault.
Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault is proud to introduce and unveil the See Something, Do Something Sexual Violence Bystander Intervention Campaign.
We always encourage victims of sexual assault to stand up and say something, but the responsibility for saying something cannot be placed solely on the victims. As bystanders to any situation that may be questionable, we also have the responsibility to act. As a community, we can all do something to help end sexual violence.
There is something that we can do not only after an assault, but before and during the incident. Being an active bystander does not always mean getting involved directly; you can help a victim simply by believing them, listening, and being supportive. If you are witnessing an incident, there are many ways to help. You can always:
- Call 911,
- Ask for others to assist you with the situation, or
- Distract the potential perpetrator from committing the crime.
Most people are fundamentally good and don’t like to see other people get hurt. Sexual violence is a community issue, and all of us need to act and be involved to support survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.
Many sexual assaults could be prevented if more people knew how to step in and do something. We have brochures and bracelets – STOP SEXUAL ASSAULT – IF YOU SEE SOMETHING – DO SOMETHING!
This brochure includes tips on what you can do to be a SAFE active bystander and help prevent sexual assault.