Dear SafeHouse Community,
I’m delighted to turn over the spotlight this month to one of our remarkable team members, Debra Higgins, RN SANE-A, SANE-P, who serves as both our Forensic Services Director and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Deb exemplifies the dedication, compassion, and leadership that define SafeHouse. As one of the 601 dual-certified adult and pediatric SANEs in the country, her expertise and commitment to survivors are unparalleled. We are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team, and I couldn’t be prouder of the impactful work she does every day.
In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Deb has penned a poignant piece reflecting on her journey to SafeHouse and the importance of raising awareness about sexual assault. Her words capture the essence of our mission and the dedication of our team. It is an honor to share her powerful narrative in this space, and I encourage you to read her thoughts.
With gratitude,
Janelle Sierra
Executive Director
SafeHouse
Building Communities and Making Connections for Sexual Assault Awareness
By Debra Higgins, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
Hello! I am Debra. I’m new here. I am on a God-lead journey: a big step taken for a purpose. I came to Alabama from Kansas, a whole new world for me and my family, not knowing anyone or anything about the place I was going. Brave? Not so much.
This pull I felt to my new destination, it was to be hands and feet. To help others. To grow. To build. To connect.
You see, I am a SANE, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner or forensic nurse—someone who is trained to care and collect evidence for patients who have been victimized. SafeHouse needed a SANE and Forensic Services Director, and I felt the call so deeply that I changed my life and the life of my family to answer. I knew my path was to come here and provide this service, but also to make connections.
In a time where it’s so much easier to send an email or a text instead of picking up the phone or knocking on a door, I found myself pondering, ok, I’m here, now what? Who am I going to talk to? Hello? Helllloooo?
I’m talking to you now. Please hear me. Over 53% of women and 29% of men report experiencing sexual violence. Statistics show most men and women across all sexual identities who experience sexual violence know the person that harmed them (Chen, et al., 2023). In Alabama, 79% of rapes are committed by someone the victims know (Alabama Law Enforcement Agency). Sexual violence is both a pervasive issue and a community issue.
And from the broader community, we see a lack of awareness about what sexual violence really entails. Sexual violence includes an entire list of behaviors, and all of them can have a hugely detrimental impact on the victim-survivor:
• Rape or sexual assault
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual abuse
• Unwanted sexual contact/touching
• Sexual exploitation and trafficking
• Exposing one’s genitals or naked body to others without consent
• Nonconsensual image sharing
• Words and actions of a sexual nature against a person’s will and without their consent
At SafeHouse we see the impact of sexual violence on victim-survivors every day. Guilt and shame, long term physical, emotional, and spiritual repercussions, and significant financial burdens become part of the fabric of a survivor’s life. It is past time that we worked together to end the violence. But how?
Connection and community. Those are my goals, because it is through them that we change the world. Community brings strength and empowerment. It creates a sense of belonging and reminds us of how our beliefs, choices, and actions impact one another. Building connected communities ensures our society is safe, inclusive, and equitable.
The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the impacts of sexual violence. Everyone has a role in preventing sexual violence and in building connected communities, bringing us closer to the goal of health equity. Health equity means that everyone, no matter their situation, has a chance to achieve their best possible health, creating a fair and just opportunity for all to reach their highest level of well-being. (Pl et NSVRC 2021.)
Please join SafeHouse and our community, YOUR community, in taking steps to build connections by enhancing your knowledge of sexual violence, learning prevention and safety measures, and by lifting one another up and honoring our beautiful community.
Back to that brave thing? Maybe being brave is using courage to find the stepping stones that create common goals that bring people of our community together, finding ways to have a safer, happier place we all call home. Building communities and making connections: it’s just one foot in front of the other.
Recent Comments