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Health & Fitness

"No Means..." Campaign Raises Awareness About Sexual Assault

LACASA’s Teen Advisory Council launches a new campaign this month to raise awareness in area high schools about issues surrounding sexual assault.

The "No Means..." campaign incorporates the tagline: "No excuses. No blurred lines."  The theme directly challenges sentiments expressed in the popular and controversial song Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

"We wanted to create a campaign that spoke to our peers," said Kayla Dillon, a member of LACASA’s Teen Advisory Council. "It is important that young people feel supported in their choices. When it comes to unwanted advances, there are no blurred lines. No means no." 

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LACASA's teen council includes 11 students from area high schools as well as an intern from Eastern Michigan University. The group collaborated for four months to develop the original campaign.

"There are so many confusing messages on digital and social media," said Kayla Breckenridge, another council member. "Our campaign lets teens know that it is a basic human right to set physical boundaries and that the violation of those boundaries is a crime."

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Council member Rachel Walker directed the graphic design and photography shoot for the poster series. "We wanted to create visuals that would capture students' attention and convey a powerful message," said Walker.

Campaign materials include a variety of posters, fact sheets and multimedia programs. LACASA will host special prevention activities in area high schools throughout the month.

 "The council’s campaign addresses a national trend of scoffing at boundaries, making excuses for assailants, and casting blame on victims," said Nicole Matthews-Creech, LACASA community education director.

"This campaign builds awareness and lets students know that LACASA has a 24-hour Help Line for teens, or their friends, to call with questions and concerns," Creech said, who mentors the council.

“It also makes young people aware that LACASA has a confidential Sexual Assault Response Center staffed by specially-trained nurse examiners,” said Creech.

LACASA's Sexual Assault Response Center provides all services at no charge for victims and survivors of sexual assault, as well as for family members and friends who may need counseling support.

National statistics show that one in four women and one in seven men will experience a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault in their lifetime. More than two-thirds of sexual assault victims know or are acquainted with their assailants.

"Young people are the most vulnerable," said Creech. "We know that 80 percent of sexual assaults and attempted assaults are committed against victims under the age of 30."

Sexual assaults on college campuses continue to rise, according to Creech.  “It is critical that we help prepare our teens with preventative information before they head off to college or into the work world," Creech said.

"We want to commend the high schools in our county in their efforts to help prevent sexual assault, a crime that has become an epidemic in our nation," said Creech. "It is empowering for the teen council and their classmates to know that the schools actively support increasing awareness.”

Members of LACASA’s Teen Advisory Council are Emmaly Badgett, Howell; Malory Benedetti, Howell; Kayla Breckenridge, Hartland; Kayla Brockway, Fowlerville; Danielle Boss, Howell; Kayla Dillon, EMU Intern; Lauren Jones, Howell; Damian Menoch, Howell; Megan Patow, Howell; Haley Sullivan, South Lyon; Rachel Taylor, Howell; and Rachel Walker, Flex Tech.

Livingston County high schools participating in the program include: Brighton, Flex Tech, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell, Howell Freshman Campus, Kensington Woods, LEGACY, and Pinckney.

To learn more, visit lacasacenter.org or contact Creech at 517-548-1350.

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