It’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month! It feels a little weird to be excited – it’s great to bring the conversation out into the open, but obviously not a comfortable conversation. Too often people feel it’s a conversation that isn’t necessary – though recent events have proven otherwise – or we wind up preaching to the choir.

 In light of the recent media coverage related to Jerry Sandusky, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and MaleSurvivor would like to remind members of the media about normal behaviors that are common for survivors of sexual abuse:

My wife is a huge fan of football. I’m not, but I’m a huge fan of my wife, so we celebrated a successful move to the new apartment by watching the Super Bowl. Ignoring that one team harbors an obstructer of justice and one team is appallingly homophobic, the whole experience was just plain stupid.

Today Judge John Cleland sentenced Jerry Sandusky to a prison term of 30-60 years, and declared him a sexually violent predator. Anything less would have been unconscionable to his victims who endured sexual assault at his hands, years of silent suffering, and the agony of telling their stories to a packed courtroom and the entire nation who was listening last June.

 HARRISBURG— The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) urge the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to add members with expertise in sexual assault prevention and service provision, and those who represent sexual assault survivors to the task force it has appointed to oversee the creation of the $60 million endowment from the fine imposed on Penn State University. 

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape advanced its mission to eliminate sexual violence and advocate for victims of sexual assault with a well-attended and energetic Advocacy Day event April 4 at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape is a proud sponsor of TransCentralPA’s fourth annual Keystone Conference, which will take place later this week — March 28 through March 31 — at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape Chief Executive Officer received praise in a recent York Dispatch editorial for her appointment to the Task Force on Child Protection. Gov. Tom Corbett tapped Rumburg and 10 others to serve on the task force.

The editorial from the York Dispatch is below. It can also be viewed at http://www.yorkdispatch.com/viewpoints/ci_19752261

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence are urging the Pennsylvania House and Senate to restore funds to the House amended budget because of victims like Beth.