Corona Virus / Covid-19 and sexual abuse

Corona Virus / Covid-19 and sexual abuse

Guy Giard, April 1, 2020

I was relieved to see the governments and the media finally address the issues of domestic violence, and some even dare to mention sexual abuse. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a teenage girl cousin and men I know very well the issues of PTSD and the reality of the statistics:

- Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, and every 9 minutes, that victim is a child.

- 1 in 5 children is sexually abused before they turn 18.

- About 90% of children who are victims of abuse know their abuser, 10% are abused by a stranger.

- 30% of sexual abuse perpetrators are family members.

- More than 1 in 3 women and nearly 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence

- The majority of sexual assault crimes are not reported to police

"The younger the victim, the more likely it is that the abuser is a family member. Of those molesting a child under six, 50% were family members. Family members also accounted for 23% of those abusing children ages 12 to 17.9"

Please, if you fear that some of your relative or neighbors are in danger of being in this situation, help them get the resources for help and support. If you are in such a situation yourself, know that you are not alone, help is available a few clicks away. I've been there and together we can make a difference when we take care of each other to create a better loving humanity.

Stay strong and be safe.

Guy Giard

RESOURCES FOR HELP AND SUPPORT:

In Canada:

The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (CRCVC) has provided support, research and education to survivors of serious crime and stakeholders in Canada. We are located in Ottawa, Ontario and bilingual services are available. All services are free of charge and confidential. https://crcvc.ca/links/

In the US:

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.HOPE in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense.

https://www.rainn.org/about-rainn

MaleSurvivor is dedicated to providing personalized support for men at every stage of the healing process. We facilitate dialogue among survivors, as well as between survivors and professional therapists, on our online forums like a vibrant and moderated discussion board, online 24/7 chat and at in-person events.

https://malesurvivor.org

STATISTICS:

https://www.d2l.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Statistics_2_Perpetrators.pdf

https://1in6.org/get-information/the-1-in-6-statistic/

https://aasas.ca/support-and-information/men-and-sexual-assault/

https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics

https://www.inspq.qc.ca/en/sexual-assault/understanding-sexual-assault/statistics-prevalence-youths

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/ccs-ajc/rr06_vic2/p3_4.html

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2019001/article/00017-eng.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/sexual-violence/index.html

https://defendinnocence.org/get-the-facts/

Lockdowns around the world bring rise in domestic violence: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/28/lockdowns-world-rise-domestic-violence

Domestic abuse is about power and control, something an abuser has more of when their victim is forced to isolate at home — which, as Cross wrote, means an increase in “opportunities for physical, sexual and emotional abuse.” https://globalnews.ca/news/6723582/coronavirus-domestic-abuse/

Guy Giard, author of autobiography "Love's Healing Journey", is a dynamic speaker and engaging artist. After exhibiting his contemporary installations across Canada, giving dozens of concerts as a singer musician, and becoming a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, he volunteers as a humanitarian clown with Dr. "Patch" Adams. He has cared in hospitals and orphanages in Russia, Morocco, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico and India. "Patch" Adams writes of him:  “I truly feel his passion to live radiant, using clowning as a tool to help midwife a loving world. To hear of his own transformation to being a loving soul will inspire others to try it on."

For more information and contact: www.guygiard.com or https://maquaire.free.fr/index.htm