Family Services to host consent panel discussion | News, Sports, Jobs – Altoona Mirror
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Consent means recognizing a person is the boss of his or her own body, and asking for consent is the first step toward preventing sexual assault, a Family Services Inc. spokesperson said.
“Silence is not consent, a shrug is not consent,” said Ashley Gay Vocco, Family Services victim services program director. “Only an enthusiastic ‘Yes,’ repeated at every physical stage of an intimate engagement, is consent.”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Family Services’ theme this year is educating people about consent, Vocco said.
While most Americans are aware consent should be given before engaging in intercourse, Vocco said people should request consent in a wide variety of situations in which people touch, such as holding hands or putting an arm around someone.
While sexual assault prevention campaigns have roots as far back as the 1940s, Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a national initiative started in 2001 to encourage discussion and education about sexual assault across the country, the National Sex Violence Resource Center reported.
To further the public’s understanding about healthy sexual relationships, Vocco said Family Services is hosting a Facebook Live panel discussion at 7 p.m. Thursday. Vocco said in years past, the panel discussions were hosted in person, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Family Services opted for a virtual platform this year.
During the event, community professionals and experts are scheduled to discuss the Blair County community’s response to sexual assault as well as answer pre-submitted questions by the attendees.
“You measure the success of an awareness initiative by the number of people who attend the events,” Vocco said. “We don’t typically see a noticeable drop in attendance numbers, but we do see new partnerships with local entities and that’s also a measure of success.”
Thursday’s panelists are slated to include Victim Services Direct Service Supervisor Cheryl Gonsman, Center for Child Justice Director Ashley Owens, Tyrone Borough Police Department Interim Police Chief Jessica Walk and Victim Services Education Specialist Thad Graham. To learn more about the panel discussion and to submit questions, go to the Family Services Inc. Facebook page or www.fb.me/e/3tPAAS7dR.
Mirror Staff Writer Ike Fredregill is at 814-946-7458.
If you go:
What: Virtual sexual assault awareness panel discussion
Where: Facebook Live via Family Services Inc. Facebook page
When: 7 p.m., Thursday
Link: www.fb.me/e/3tPAAS7dR