Latino C.L.A.S.

Sexual violence affects women, children, and men of all ages and cultural groups. The Hispanic/Latino origin population makes up nearly 30% of the total population of Weld County. And yet, our call volume only represents about 1% Hispanic/Latino sexual assault victims. This does not mean that sexual violence is not happening in Latino/Hispanic communities; for example, in a study done by Romero et. al in 1999, one in three Latina women, 18 to 50 years of age reported incidents of sexual abuse, more than one-third experienced re-victimization and more than 80% of initial incidents occurred from the age of seven. Additionally, the National Violence Against Women Survey found that Latina women are less likely to report rape. The Latino/Hispanic community may experience barriers that other segments of our community don't face.

Barriers to Seeking Help Can Include:

• Fear and Mistrust of the Legal System: Latinos may mistrust and fear the police and judicial authorities because in many Latin American countries these entities may be corrupt and oppressive (Virginia Action Alliance).


• Language: Language is key to establishing safety and trust. Some Latinos/as/Hispanics limited English language skills and many feel more comfortable speaking their native language when discussing a personal matter S.A.S.I. offers bilingual , Spanish language services for victims of sexual assault.


• Fear of Deportation: Many Latino/Hispanic immigrants suffer sexual violence, exploitation, and ongoing harassment by perpetrators who take advantage of their fear of deportation and lack of knowledge about their rights (Virginia Action Alliance). Survivors seeking services from S.A.S.I. will not be asked about their immigration status.


• Cultural Concerns/Lack of Culturally Sensitive Services: The Latino/Hispanic community may hold a set of values and beliefs that may hold the victim of a sexually violent crime accountable for his/her actions, rather than the perpetrator. These values may make it difficult or unacceptable for a victim to seek services outside of his/her family and friends network.

Victims/Survivors of sexual violence experience loss of power and control. The stigma that sexual assault carries in our society is so strong that victims of any age, race, or gender do not want to report or tell anyone about the crime committed against them. If we add these factors to the barriers Latinos/as face when seeking help, it is clearly evident why the Latino population may experience more difficulty in accessing and receiving support services for sexual assault crimes.
At SASI, we want to make our services available to anyone who has been affected by sexual violence. Our records reflect that our services have not been accessible for the Latino population, and we believe that when one segment of our community is not receiving crisis intervention and services when they are most needed, then the community at large is affected. If a victim of sexual violence does not receive appropriate information, intervention and support, then a range of detrimental effects are likely to result. These include depression, sleeplessness, guilt, and an inability to function in what were once normal activities. This affects everyone who is around the victim/survivor. Help is available at SASI (Sexual Assault Survivors, Inc.) for victims, their friends, family, and the community.

For additonal information on this topic, please send us an e-mail at : sasiservices@survivorinfo.org