Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- A Bolder Way Forward launched its Start by Believing campaign to support sexual violence victims.
- The campaign encourages Utahns to believe victims, improving reporting and healing outcomes.
- Utah leaders emphasize policy changes and increased funding for prevention and survivor resources.
SALT LAKE CITY — "I believe you. How can I help?"
Those seven words can make all the difference when responding to someone sharing they are a victim of sexual violence, according to Julie Valentine, A Bolder Way Forward spokeswoman and University of Utah nursing professor.
She explains that by creating a culture of support for those affected by sexual abuse, survivors feel more comfortable reporting crimes committed against them.
"We actually have a lot of research that shows that the reaction that an individual receives when they disclose sexual assault or intimate partner violence shapes their long-term mental health outcomes," said Valentine. "It also determines if they go on to report, to seek resources for healing, or if they go on to report to law enforcement and achieve justice.
"So by believing victims, we not only help survivors heal, but we decrease sexual and gender-based violence. Because when survivors are comfortable coming forward to report, then we uncover the harms that are happening, cases can be prosecuted and we reduce our sexual and gender-based violence."
On Wednesday, the women's equity initiative A Bolder Way Forward launched Start by Believing, a public awareness campaign to improve public response to those disclosing experiences of sexual and gender-based violence. The statewide, three-year-long campaign encourages Utah residents to respond first by believing an individual who shares they have been sexually assaulted rather than responding with doubt or blame.
The campaign was rolled out on Start by Believing Day, a national initiative created by End Violence Against Women International. It is observed each year on the first Wednesday of April, which is also nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The initiative was kicked off with an event at the state Capitol rotunda, where speakers from various community resource centers shared the importance of the campaign and explained the prevalence of sexual violence for Utahns. Attendees were encouraged to take the pledge to start by believing when someone shares they were abused or sexually assaulted, showing survivors they will be believed and supported as they seek justice and healing.
"On average, children disclose that they have been a victim of sexual abuse three times before they get helped because children are not believed when they disclose child sexual abuse," said Laurieann Thorpe, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Utah. "Children often don't report their child sexual abuse until they're adults. The average age of reporting is 52, of abuse that happened when they were child. So when a child is willing and ready to disclose abuse that they have experienced, it's the very least we can do to believe them."
One in three women and one in six men will experience sexual violence in the form of physical contact during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Valentine explained that the issue is even more prevalent in Utah than it is in other states, as the state is consistently listed as one of the top 10 states for reported rape since the 1990s.
Valentine and other leaders at the event emphasized the need for policy change in Utah that will better help survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including resources for survivors. In the recent legislative session, lawmakers denied a $260,000 funding request that would ensure victims of domestic violence receive exams for strangulation, a leading indicator of future homicide. According to Valentine, this was seen as a significant loss for advocates and survivors of abuse.
"We need more money, we need our legislators to say, 'Yes, we are going to stand with survivors, yes, we are going to stand with women, we are going to decrease sexual and gender-based violence' by increasing funding for prevention programs (and survivor resources)," she said.
While advocates expressed a need for improvement, they also celebrated the progress Utah has made in supporting survivors. On Tuesday, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and the Salt Lake City Council signed a joint resolution recognizing Wednesday as Start by Believing Day and supporting the campaign. Utah has also been a designated Start by Believing state for 10 years, following a 2015 resolution to officially recognize Start by Believing Day sponsored by Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City.
Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault Executive Director Liliana Olvera-Arbon spoke at the event and shared the progress Utah has made in offering community resources for survivors.
"Thanks to efforts made by community members and leaders across our state, we now have 13 rape crisis centers and 20-something (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) programs in our state, which means help is available no more than 30 minutes away," said Olvera-Arbon. "That is incredible, incredible news from our state. Each county has a state-assigned rape crisis center who can help you get those resources. We also have a statewide healthline that is available 24/7 in both Spanish and English."
As part of the three-year campaign, A Bolder Move Forward will be tracking the number of pledges made online to Start by Believing, calls made to helplines and other resources to measure the effectiveness of the campaign and if it creates a shift in culture surrounding sexual abuse.
Twenty-nine Start by Believing pledges were made in Utah last year, according to Valentine. This year, the organization is making the goal to receive tens of thousands of pledges. She encouraged those who want to support the initiative to sign the online pledge to start by believing and include their state, share their pledge online using #startbybelieving and follow the initiative on Instagram.
"Let's make this movement undeniable, let's make it unstoppable," said Valentine. "Let's build a Utah that's safer and healthier, where every survivor knows when you speak, we will listen. When you share, we will support. When you come forward, we will believe."
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