Students face violence on a daily basis. Research shows that 1 out of every 3 girls and 1 out of every 6 boys will experience some type of abuse or violence. 1 out of 3 high school relationships includes battering or rape. (Creighton, A., 1990. Helping Teens Stop Violence) While the statistics may be hard to believe, we know it is true from our work within the school systems of Georgia.
In response to this increasing epidemic, the Georgia legislature passed House Bill 171; the Rape Education and Prevention Curriculum House Bill. This bill requires that the State School Board work with local rape crisis centers to create sexual assault prevention curricula and personal safety education programs that are consistent with the Quality Core Curriculum requirements set by the Georgia Department of Education (will open in new window).
While HB171 requires that all schools adhere to a sexual assault prevention program, there are only 23 rape crisis centers to serve the 100 counties throughout Georgia. This means that at least 59 counties do not have access to local rape crisis centers, leaving school systems without access to rape crisis centers' services. GNESA is a membership organization that informs and educates members, service providers and communities about the issues and myths surrounding sexual assault. The organization can offer your school system with the following services:
- Networking -- GNESA provides a network of organizations and individuals to address the concerns of all persons affected by sexual assault.
- Technical Assistance -- GNESA provides technical support and staff training for existing and emerging rape crisis centers.
- Advocacy -- GNESA advocates for public policy reform on issues affecting sexual assault victims and women's heath and safety concerns.
GNESA provides training for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and law enforcement.