NJ county starts program aiming to prevent assaults

Steps to thwart deviant behavior
Warren County agency hopes group will help prevent domestic violence.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
By BILL WICHERT
The Express-Times
Whether it's just after an incident occurred or decades later, the Warren County Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center is there to help victims through the healing process.
Now the organization is taking aim at how to prevent such attacks from happening in the first place.

As part of a statewide effort, the center is looking to build a coalition of community members to develop its first prevention program in the county. The center has begun surveying the community in hopes of assembling a group by next month.

"It's a new way of approaching things," said Sheila Garry Avery, the center's community education director. "At least we're starting to talk about it."

Through funding provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consultants hired by the New Jersey Coalition against Sexual Assault are expected to assist the center and agencies in other counties with creating their own programs.

As the center seeks ideas on preventing sexual assault, some of the common themes to be addressed include the use of technology and discussing the issue with parents, even before a child is born, Avery said. With text messaging and Web sites like MySpace, a victim can feel violated without any physical contact, she said.

"The whole concept of privacy has completely changed," Avery said.

Some common obstacles to increasing prevention also have emerged, she said. For example, Warren County's rural stretches provide limited transportation options to receive services. That can make people feel socially distant from their neighbors, Avery said.

In small towns, some people might be fearful of discussing such issues because of a lack of anonymity, she said. "People are isolated within their own communities," Avery said.

According to New Jersey State Police, three reported cases of sexual assault occurred during 2006 in Warren County and none in 2005, the most recent years for available data.

The center, however, has seen an increase over the last few years in the number of people coming forward, even if they don't approach law enforcement, said Pam Farago, the center's executive director. The center does not promote such reporting, but encourages the victims to make their own decisions, Farago said.

"It's a life-changing experience," she said.
Reporter Bill Wichert can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at bwichert@express-times.com.