Sexual Assualt Prevention

The primary responsibility for any sexual assault rests with the offender and not the victim. Unfortunately, you can take all reasonable measures to reduce your risk and still be assaulted. To mitigate your risks, follow these tips:

• Be observant and aware of your surroundings. 
• Avoid poorly lit areas where an attacker might hide.
• Don’t be embarrassed to use security staff at work or when shopping, to walk you to your car.
• Be careful of your use of alcohol and drugs; you are more vulnerable to attack if you are intoxicated.
• Do not leave your food or drink unattended at a party or in a public place. If someone is buying you a drink, order the drink from a waitress/waiter who will physically bring the drink to you or from the bartender that will physically hand you the drink.  Take your drink with you, even when you go to the bathroom.  The person who is interested in you will understand.  
• Be thoughtful and use good judgment in choosing your friends and partners.
• If you feel uncomfortable in someone’s presence, trust your feelings and take steps to distance yourself from him or her. Don’t be afraid to make a scene if necessary. Tell someone!
• Identify safe people in your neighborhood that you or your children can go to if you need help. 
• Do not pick up hitchhikers or stop to help a stranger in a stalled vehicle; use a phone in a safe location to call for help. 
• Be cautious about making personal contact with those you meet on the Internet or in other similar environments.

Do not harass the offender. The purpose behind community notification is to reduce the changes of future victimization of persons by this offender. The information presented through this notification should assist you and your family in avoiding situations that allow easy victimization. Initiating contact with the Sexually Violent Predator can increase the risk of you or your family being victimized or may drive the offender underground, placing others at greater risk.

• Avoid scary details. You know more than your child needs to know. Use language that is honest and age-appropriate (e.g. “there are people who do bad things to children…”) Include general information, as this may protect them from others who would try to harm them as well. 
• If your child is likely to have contact with the Sexually Violent Predator or other registered sex offenders you should show your child the sex offender’s photo. Instruct them to avoid contact with the offender and encourage them to tell you if he or she initiates contact. In general all supervised sex offenders are prohibited from initiating any contact with children, and any contact should be reported to the supervising officer.
• Teach your child the following:
     - Don't take rides from strangers 
     - Don't  harass or visit any sex offender’s home or yard
     - Do tell a safe adult if anyone acts inappropriately toward them 
      (e.g. creepy, too friendly, threatening, offering gifts in a secret way, 
       or touching them)
     - Run, scream and get away if someone is bothering them
     - Don't keep secrets
     - Don't assist strangers
     - Don't go places alone
     - Do ask questions and do talk about any uncomfortable feelings or interactions
• Make it a habit to listen to your children and to believe them. If a child feels listened to and believed about small everyday things, they are more likely to share the big scary things with you. 
• Be sensitive to changes in your child’s behavior. Pay attention to your child’s feelings and thoughts.
• Role-play safety with your child. Act out scenarios of various dangerous situations and teach them how to respond (e.g. home alone and someone comes to the door; separated from Mom in the toy store and a man comes up to talk to them; or chatting on the Internet and they are asked for their home address).

If your daughter is 12 years old and older, contact your Denver Community Resource Officer to sign up for the five-hour Denver Police Department Free Women’s Self Defense Course.  This is a comprehensive crime prevention class that focuses on Self Defense using Krav Maga techniques.  

Many societal myths continue to support the act of rape. The most common myths (or sociocultural misconceptions) about rape are:

• He/she asked for it. No woman asks to be raped or sexually assaulted. The victim’s behavior or appearance is not the issue in question. Consent is the issue.
• It can’t happen to me. Anyone is a potential victim, irrespective of age, race, educational background or income level.
• The primary motive for rape is sex. Power, anger and control are the motives for rape, not sex.
• Rape occurs only among strangers. Only 22% of rape cases involve strangers. The rest, 78% are committed by individuals the victim knows well – a spouse, father, boyfriend, relative, friend or neighbor.
• Rape does not happen in marriages. One aspect of domestic violence in marital rape. When a spouse is forced or coerced into having sex, it is rape.
• No one can be forced to have sex against their will. An individual can be coerced by physical force or threat of injury or death. Almost half of all rape victims fear serious injury or death during a rape.
• Most rape victims suffer visible physical injuries during an attack. The fact is that over two-thirds of rape victims fearing injury or death do not resist an attack and, hence, do not sustain any bruises, marks or other visible injuries.
• A man or woman who says “no” usually means “yes”. Non-consensual sex is rape.
• It is rare that an individual files a false report of rape or abuse. In fact, it is estimated that less than 16% of all sexual assaults are ever reported. Reporting an assault can be humiliating and difficult.

• The majority of offenses are committed by someone the victim knows.
• Most offenders commit multiple crimes against multiple types of victims with whom they have varying types of relationships (adults, children, male, female, known and unknown.) This behavior is known as crossover.
• Sex offenders rarely commit just one type of offense. Many offenders have no criminal history or sex crime history of any kind.
• There is no such thing as a “typical” sex offender; however all tend to be manipulative, deceptive, and secretive. Sex offenders come from all backgrounds, ages, income levels and professions.
• Sexual deviancy often begins in mid- to late-adolescence.
• Sex offenders do not usually commit their crimes impulsively. They usually employ careful planning and preliminary steps that, if interrupted, can prevent an actual crime.
• The vast majority of sex offenders are male; only 20% of child sex offenses are committed by women.