Clothesline project brings attention to abuse

NEWTON — April marks National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Crime Victim Rights Week. To raise awareness the Clothesline Project was displayed at Sussex County Community College on April 16 to honor victims and survivors of sexual violence and child abuse in a visual protest that bears witness to the pain and courage of those who have suffered.

Shirts decorated by survivors and those who care about them reflect each person’s experience with interpersonal violence.

The concept of the Clothesline Project is to let each person tell her/his own story in a unique way and hang it out for all to see. It is a way of airing society’s dirty laundry.

Guest speakers from the community also shared their knowledge and expertise in sexual abuse prevention work.

Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Intervention Services (DASI), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, Ginnie’s House Childrens Advocacy Center, Project Self Sufficiency (PSS), the NJ Crime Victims Law Center, and Sussex County Community College (SCCC) sponsored the public event.

Sexual violence affects people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Child sexual abuse occurs at an even more alarming rate, with one in six boys and one in four girls experiencing a sexual assault before the age of 18 according to national statistics.

For more information, call DASI at 973-579-2386.

— Photos by Amy Cilli