April marks the national observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). In conjunction with this, the Coordinated Community Response Team of Lincoln County is presenting two public programs about “What Happens to the Brain during Sexual Assault.”
Each of these events will feature a recording of the presentation recently given before the National Institute of Justice by Dr. Rebecca Campbell of Michigan State University, in which she discusses the neurobiology of sexual assault. Dr. Campbell’s research contributes greatly to the understanding of how survivors react during and after an assault, and she relates it to the implications for those in law enforcement, medical services, prosecution, and victim advocacy. Dr. Campbell presents her findings in basic terms along with PowerPoint slides in a way that is easy to understand. For the past 20 years, Dr. Campbell has been conducting victimology research and evaluation, with an emphasis on violence against women and children. She has published 75 scientific papers and two books.
The first presentation will be held at T.B. Scott Library on Thursday, April 11, at 6 p.m. There will be another showing at the Tomahawk Public Library on Thursday, April 25, also at 6 p.m. Both events are free, and the public is invited. This information is very pertinent to those who work in law enforcement and the legal system, healthcare, education, and human services. It is also especially relevant to survivors and those close to them.
The Lincoln County Coordinated Community Response Team is committed to reducing all forms of domestic violence and sexual assault through increased community awareness, education, treatment, support for survivors, and swift, consistent consequences for perpetrators within the provisions of Wisconsin law. The Team includes members of local law enforcement, the court system, educators, advocates, human service workers, probation and parole officers, healthcare providers, and others who interact with those affected.
The CCR Team encourages all those interested in becoming better informed about how advances in brain science relate to sexual assault to participate in one of these presentations.