Just COVID-19: The Impact to Supporting Victims of Sexual Assault_Sexual Assault Awareness Month_129

This week on Just Science, we are publishing a special release episode in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Social distancing, shelter in place, and other responses to COVID-19 can create a stressful environment for survivors of sexual assault especially if they feel they cannot access resources or are physically unable to seek help. In addition, highly stressful situations that result from significant amounts of change, such as unemployment, disruption in ‘normal’ activities, and social isolation may increase the risk of domestic violence and sexual assault. In this podcast, we will discuss what services are available to survivors of sexual assault, including leveraging on-line platforms and modified strategies for first responders, rape crisis centers, and victim advocates. We will also discuss how we as a friend, family member, and community can be prepared to respond to a victim of sexual assault in this challenging time. In this episode Just Science interviews Ms. Marya Simmons, the Founder and CEO of Shift in Notion Consulting. Marya is a nationally recognized victim advocate and trainer with a specialty on the formation of multidisciplinary teams or sexual assault response teams and assisting agencies with developing policies and practices for improved responses to sexual assault. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.