April Is Sexual Assault Awareness Month – Find Help Locally

Daytona Beach, FL – April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and has been recognized as such since 2001. The Volusia Rape Crisis Center (VRCC) has been helping victims since 2015 when it was opened by Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare. VRCC Director Shinece Carr says that anyone can stop in and speak with someone at the office located at 702 S. Ridgewood Avenue in Daytona Beach but she says the best way to get in touch is by calling the Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-503-7621. The website is volusiarapecrisiscenter.org.  Carr says there’s help for everyone, whether the assault was recent or twenty years ago. She says there are a number of different types of help. "Crisis counseling, help with the criminal justice process, help with their personal needs, accompaniment to forensic exams, and doctor’s appointments, and legal appointments." They also offer community education and referrals, support group, and victim advocacy. Records show that more often than not, the attacker is someone who’s known to the victim.  Carr says it’s usually someone the victim has had interaction with prior to the assault. "Most of the cases are acquaintance rape. It’s usually either a friend of the family, it could be a step-parent, it could be a sibling, a coach, a teacher."