Even in recession, sexual violence can't be ignored

Employees are being let go, budgets are being cut and there doesn't seem to be enough money to go around in this economy. But despite the recession, on March 26 Gov. M Jodi Rell decided to allocate over $2 million of the state's stimulus money toward preventing violence against women. The money will go to four victim service programs and four law enforcement and prosecution programs.

The economy is in a slump and many people may think this money could be used for other resources. However, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States every two minutes, and that is not going to stop because of a weak economy. It is important to realize that attention must be paid to ongoing problems like sexual assault, even in bad economic times.

According to a Daily Campus article published Monday, $400,000 of the stimulus money will go toward expanding staff at domestic violence shelters. This is crucial to help people recover after they have experienced something as traumatizing and life-changing as sexual assault. Federal funding isn't enough to keep the shelters fully staffed and ready to meet victims' needs.

Rell is also allocating money to a teen dating violence outreach program. This is crucial, especially for the college demographic. One in three teens experiences dating violence, but only one in three victims reports it. That means that one out of three of your close friends could easily have experienced dating violence at some point in their lives. The statistics are horrifying and unacceptable. But perhaps with more funding, sexual assault and dating violence programs can do more outreach work and help those who wouldn't come forward before.

There will be an increase in funding for programs that would help victims cope with the aftermath of the assault, and tools that would help medical examiners collect evidence needed for prosecution. Facilities will receive $500,000 for prosecutors, which will allow facilities to have six full-time domestic violence and sexual assault prosecutors.

The initial plan to allocate money in a trying time seemed like a big step. But if you think about the fact that, in 2007 alone, 248,300 sexual assaults were reported (most are not), sexual assault prevention is a great cause to put that money toward. Putting the stimulus money to other use may seem like a better idea initially, but this affects college students more than any other demographic. College-aged women are more than four times as likely to be sexually assaulted as any other demographic. Now, there will be more psychological and legal help for those who choose to report the assault. Reporting of sexual assault has increased since 1993 and hopefully it will continue to increase will a growing amount of outreach programs.

Residents of Connecticut should support Rell in her decision to spend money on sexual assault prevention. There has never been a better time than the present to fight for a cause that affects millions of people.

Sexual assaults can be fatal. Hopefully the money going towards these programs will prevent many of those deaths and encourage women to break away from violent relationships and seek professional help.

Sexual assault and dating violence won't end until offenders stop committing violent acts. However, it is likely that that will never happen. So the only way to counter those acts currently is to help victims of assault cope with what happened to them.

It was a very bold move on Rell's part to allocate money for an issue that is ongoing and difficult to ever completely prevent - but it is the right move. Her actions are going to help numerous people who would not have received help before. Looking at it in a purely economic sense, those people who were victims will now become active members of society with help from those programs and can continue spending money and stimulating the economy. Rell's choice for the allocation of that money could not have been better. Sexual assault and dating violence affects everyone, even if it has never happened to you.