Description
Led by the Cambridge Sexual Assault Team, the City of Cambridge announced that it is committed to being a Start by Believing community. Members of the Cambridge community are invited to join the Cambridge Sexual Assault Response Team, Mayor Marc C. McGovern and the Cambridge City Council, City Manager Louis A. DePasquale and the City’s leadership, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), State Representative Marjorie Decker, and other supporters on the front steps of Cambridge City Hall for a Start by Believing pledge, proclamation reading, speaker series and group photo.
Start by Believing is an international public awareness campaign launched in 2011 by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI), a professional training organization that helps law enforcement and allied professionals improve their response to sexual assault and other gender-based crimes like Human Trafficking and Intimate Partner Violence.
Many survivors of sexual assault do not disclose their experience because of fear of not being believed, self-blame, shame, and worry about the stigma of being labeled a victim. The Start by Believing campaign is designed to help change this. Knowing how to respond is critical, because a negative response can worsen the trauma and foster an environment of lack of accountability for these crimes. Start by Believing helps stop this cycle of silence by improving personal and professional reactions.
Following the kickoff pledge event, the City of Cambridge will help put the pledge into action by hosting the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center to offer an educational workshop for all Cambridge community members on Wednesday, May 1, from 6-8 p.m., 7 Temple St., Second Floor Library, Cambridge.
Learn how to respond when someone shares that they are a survivor of sexual assault, abuse, or harassment. Food will be provided. RSVP is requested but not required to espeakman@cambridgema.gov.
Link to more information
Link to event flier.