Facts About The Retreat and a Film Screening to Change Your Life
Every 98 seconds there is a sexual assault in the United States.
It happens nationally, but it also happens here to your neighbor, your brother, your child, your friend. And that is why you should know about The Retreat.
The Retreat is already well known as the East End’s only domestic violence and sexual assault agency, with comprehensive free services including a shelter, hotline, counseling, legal advocacy and prevention education services. Their mission is to provide safety, shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse and to break the cycle of family violence.
In pursuit of that mission, The Retreat provides direct services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, their families, and the Eastern Long Island community through a 24-hour bilingual hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, prevention education and emergency shelter.
Throughout April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, The Retreat has put a particular focus on educating the public about this issue, but it’s a battle The Retreat fights every day. And some of the facts are staggering:
The vast majority of sexual assaults (more than 85%) are perpetrated by someone the victim knows—a family member, intimate partner or acquaintance.
Men and boys can be victims of sexual assault as well as women and girls.
Since January 1 of this year, 100,191 Americans have been sexually assaulted as of 1 p.m. on April 24, 2018 (up-to-the-minute statistics can be found at sane-sart.com).
The Retreat’s prevention education programs teach young people not only to assert boundaries in intimate relationships but also to recognize and respect those boundaries.
To understand the sexual assault epidemic, see The Hunting Ground, a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses, which will be screened and followed by a panel discussion (including The Retreat staff) at East Hampton Library on Monday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. The screening will include a “What You Were Wearing” exhibit of clothes individuals wore when they were sexually assaulted. Watch the trailer below.
12 THINGS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RETREAT
1. Serves all individuals, including men
2. Provides Cyber-Safe Kids workshops
3. Provides furniture & clothing from The Retreat Boutique for indie films and local plays
4. Has a bilingual hotline 24/7, 365 days of the year
5. Serves survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking
6. Works with individuals over the age of 65 impacted by abuse
7. Works with over 150 volunteers and has a monthly Volunteer Orientation
8. Has offices in East Hampton, Southampton, Riverhead and Hauppauge
9. Works with at-risk fathers as young as 16 to strengthen parenting and partnership skills
10. Has a “Safe Bar Initiative” to educate bartenders in recognizing and preventing sexual assault/harassment (#PatchogueMetoo)
11. Has prevention education programs in schools from 3–12 grade, a sexual assault prevention education program on college campuses and a sexual assault prevention program for foster care staff and foster care youth
12. Works with community partners to prevent gang violence
Contact Loretta Davis at [email protected] in you have any questions or want to volunteer. Call the Hotline for services at 631-329-2200. Visit the website at theretreatinc.org.