The month of April brings awareness to sexual assault.
Dallas County Health Navigation Coordinator Ann Cochran tells Raccoon Valley Radio that parents or guardians should take time to explain with their youth that an unwanted or coerced sexual activity is sexual assault, which is a crime. Cochran says sometimes the topic is uncomfortable but necessary.
“Teach young people. You don’t just tell them once and then never talk about it again. So this is something that is important to talk about with both boys and girls. They need to have a chance to think about what you tell them and then after they’ve reflected on it, go back and talk again about sexual assault.”
Cochran says that for someone that is a sexual assault victim a good resource is calling the 24-hour Crisis Intervention and Advocacy hotline in Adel or contacting the Dallas County Health Department.