April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Did you know that ACTS has a Sexual Assault Specialist dedicated to working with Spanish-speaking clients? This is critical, because according to the County 22% of Prince William County residents are of Hispanic origin, and 32% of students enrolled in the county’s public school system identify as Hispanic/Latino.. Of that number, many are immigrants who have come to America to find work and help their families back home.

However, life in America, or their journey to America, often takes a terrible turn when sexual predators take advantage of an individual’s immigration status, assaulting adults, teenagers and children. ACTS has heard countless stories of sexual victimization, including tales of sexual assaults by “trusted authorities” who turned out to be impostors; employment-related assaults by co-workers and/or supervisors who tell victims that they will be arrested if they report an assault to police; and other traumatic sexual assaults that occur while crossing the border.

Most often, victims are scared to go to the police for fear of being deported or arrested themselves. ACTS is a beacon of hope for sexual assault victims who are also immigrants, with or without legal documentation. Our concern is for the person, no matter what their status, because no one deserves to be assaulted. We encourage victims to report crimes in a safe way, if it is their choice to do so.

We provide one on one therapeutic services, group support, accompaniment to law enforcement meetings, and also accompaniment to court for English and Spanish-speaking victims and their families. ACTS is here for every step of their healing process. Please call our Sexual Assault Services at (703) 497-1192 for more information.