DPH awarded DOJ grant to assist people affected by sexual assault

COLUMBIA - A federal grant worth $925,389 was recently awarded to the South Carolina Department of Public Health to continue the agency's collaborative efforts with stakeholders across the state to provide services for people who have experienced sexual assault. The money also will allow DPH to increase awareness about sexual violence in underserved communities.

The Sexual Assault Services Program Formula grant money was awarded by the United States Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women and will cover two years.

During the past several decades, dedicated volunteers, survivors and staff members across South Carolina have advocated and provided services for those whose lives have been affected by sexual violence through the work of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the 15 rape crisis centers serving communities throughout the state.

DPH has assisted the coalition and crisis centers in their efforts to serve people who have experienced sexual assault and provide education and awareness to South Carolinians for more than 20 years through its Sexual Violence Services Program.

"Supporting rape crisis centers is essential not only for the immediate and long-term care of survivors, but also for cultivating a community that recognizes, addresses and strives to prevent sexual violence," said Danielle Wingo, director of DPH's Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. "It is a privilege to collaborate with and advocate for these organizations."

DPH's program focuses on assisting the coalition and crisis centers in providing high-quality sexual violence services to people affected by sexual violence with funding provided by OVW. Rape crisis centers also provide prevention services through other sources of funding. All 15 of the state's centers offer services that are deemed necessary to meet the needs of primary and secondary sexual violence survivors and their communities.

Sexual violence remains a substantial issue in South Carolina, affecting people of every gender, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reported there were 2,515 reported cases of sexual battery committed in 2021, and many more cases are not reported.

"Almost 30% of women in South Carolina are raped during their lifetime, with over 50% estimated to experience some form of sexual violence," said Sara Barber, the coalition's executive director. "This funding is critical to sustaining the services provided by rape crisis centers in communities across our state that provide hope, healing and a pathway to wellbeing for survivors of these devastating intimate assaults."

While the centers in the state continue to provide the best services they can, sexual violence is one of the most under-reported acts of violence. If you have experienced any form of sexual violence or know someone who has, there are resources available to you, and the dedicated staff of the centers are there to help. Services are available without having to report to law enforcement.