HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that it has awarded the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape a five-year cooperative agreement to sustain and further expand its national resource center.  The agreement, which is a continuation of a previous award granted in July , calls for increased emphasis on sexual violence prevention.

   

"I am very pleased to see funding go to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against

Rape to expand the National Sexual Violence Resource Center," Senator Arlen

Specter said.  "It is imperative that we curb the violence and lasting effects

of rape by developing initiatives to prevent it.  I trust that the NSVRC will

use this funding to continue to provide services that ensure safety and

security in our communities."

   

Delilah Rumburg, executive director of the coalition stated, "This award

demonstrates the CDC's commitment to, and recognition of, sexual violence as

an important and urgent national problem.  We have filled a tremendous void -

one which has resulted in the strengthening of sexual assault services and

programs across the nation and beyond."

   

A little over five years ago, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center

(NSVRC) became the first and only federally funded national resource center on

sexual violence.  And the timing could not have been more crucial as the

nation's attention was quickly drawn to an onslaught of unprecedented and

often scandalous headlines and accounts involving sexual abuse in some of our

nation's most exclusive of circles -- the military, the clergy, sports and

entertainment communities, and on college campuses.

   

Governor Edward G. Rendell commended the coalition on its work over the

years and stressed his support for the organization. "The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape has worked diligently throughout the years on behalf of victims and their families," Rendell said. "This grant from the CDC will allow PCAR to reach out to more individuals who have been harmed so they can begin to heal and receive the necessary

counseling and assistance that is necessary."

   

According to Karen Baker, director of the NSVRC, "Since our official

opening in July , we have responded to nearly 7,000 requests for technical

assistance.  This clearly demonstrates that a need exists, and it has been

extremely gratifying knowing that we are helping to build the capacity of

allied programs across the country.  At the same time, we have developed

critical partnerships that have been instrumental in supporting our efforts to

sustain a national presence while building an infrastructure that will exist

for decades to come."

   

As the NSVRC continues to perform its current functions, it will broaden

services to take on a stronger and more active leadership role in the

prevention of sexual violence.  "We intend to expand our focus on prevention,"

states Baker.  "Sexual violence is a complex social problem that deserves and

requires a comprehensive prevention strategy.  One response does not fit all

and it is imperative that we identify risk and protective factors so that we

can effectively mobilize our resources and collectively implement prevention

strategies that are broad in scope, diverse in approach, and effective in

reach."

   

It is estimated that one out of every six U.S. women and one out of every

thirty-three U.S. men have experienced an attempted or completed rape as a

child and/or adult.  Sexual violence creates a host of health-related

problems, including injury and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as

numerous psychological conditions such as major depression, substance abuse,

eating disorders, homelessness and suicide.

   

The NSVRC, a project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, collects

and disseminates a wide range of resources on sexual violence including

statistics, research, position statements, statutes, training curricula,

prevention initiatives and program information to coalitions, advocates, and

others interested in understanding and preventing/eliminating sexual violence.

 

Source: National Sexual Violence Resource Center; PA Coalition

Against Rape