With incidents of sexual assault and domestic violence on the rise, Chatham-Kent Victim Services is emphasizing the importance of collaboration in the community.
The organization held its annual flag-raising at the Civic Centre in Chatham on Monday to mark the start of Victims and Survivors of Crime Week from May 14-20.
“What Victims and Survivors of Crime Week is all about is celebrating the collaboration and the spirit of our community and the survivors that exist within our community and all they bring the Chatham-Kent,” said Victim Services Executive Director Kate do Forno.
Several of Victim Services’ community partners such as Restorative Justice Chatham-Kent, the United Way of Chatham-Kent, and the Chatham Kent Women’s Centre were on hand during the flag-raising to show their support.
“It’s heartening to know that they’re here in solidarity with us because they are doing the work on the ground with us as well in making sure violence in the community is appropriately dealt with,” said do Forno. “It’s incredibly important that we recognize that it really does take a community effort to change the tide around this topic.”
do Forno emphasized the importance of educating the community, especially parents, on how to recognize the signs in situations that could lead to domestic violence and sexual assault.
“We really do need to make sure our community is well educated about the ways and tactics that abusers and perpetrators are using to either recruit individuals into human trafficking or sexually exploitive relationships, or an unhealthy relationship. And to make sure that our parents and teens are well educated on what that looks like and what the red flags are,” she said. “We just want to ensure that the message gets out as far and wide as possible so that people have the ability to know what [programs] exist in their community and get the dedicated support that they need.”
Chatham-Kent Victim Services currently has more than 50 volunteer community crisis responders who provide immediate emotional support to those impacted by crime, tragedy, or trauma.
