OLA of Eastern Long Island has released its bilingual survey to give survivors of sexual assault or sexual abuse, and their allies, the opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives anonymously.
The purpose of the survey is to better understand what a person who experienced sexual assault as a child goes through when reporting this crime, to understand why some choose not to report the crime, and to learn more about roadblocks in the reporting experience that may involve family, friends, or other influences that impede reporting.
The primary goals are to gather information that will help to inform OLA’s ongoing work with police departments and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office related to child victims of sexual assault and to learn about gaps in support structures that child victims and their families may be encountering, which will help to inform the Youth Connect emotional support program as well as our other community-based initiatives and collaborations.
The survey is part of OLA’s ongoing work to identify gaps in all institutions that impact victims or family members when they report or attempt to report, especially when they do not speak English. OLA is currently analyzing the policies of the 10 East End police departments and the NY State Police related to the handling of sexual assault and child abuse. The individual approaches of each agency vary greatly. OLA believes that consistency in law enforcement practices is an area where it can help strengthen advocacy and support for victims, thereby increasing reporting.
According to OLA’s research, national statistics show that between 11 and 20 percent of girls under age 18 experience sexual abuse/assault, but based on the number of reports filed in local police departments concerning child victims of sexual abuse/assault, only a maximum of .5 percent of girls under 18 reported sexual abuse/assault in 2020 on the East End. This suggests that, locally, young victims are not reporting their experiences of sexual abuse/assault. The survey is available to all genders.
“For years OLA has been in dialogue with some East End police departments and the DA’s office in an effort to understand and improve processes related to these crimes against children,” said Executive Director Minerva Perez. “We regularly work with victims and their families to help navigate confusing processes that are made more confusing with language access concerns and procedural inconsistencies. It’s important for justice to be served, but we need to understand that justice also involves making sure that young people who experienced these crimes, as well as their families, are made fully aware of the process and their rights during the process from the very moment they disclose the incident. New York State has a victims’ bill of rights, but these and other rights need to be made clear to those who come forward to report — in a manner that considers cultural, religious, and/or linguistic nuances. It’s not just about making sure someone goes to jail. Justice for many is the chance to heal. Hearing directly from individuals, family, and friends is a way to bring these voices into the conversation in a safe and effective way.”
OLA consulted with domestic violence agencies and agencies focused on survivors of sexual assault across Long Island to get a comprehensive perspective, which informed the survey design. The survey is directed toward those who have experienced sexual assault/abuse as a child themselves as well as to friends and family members who know someone who has experienced this. OLA also seeks to learn from the survey what support structures, if any, young victims of sexual assault rely on.
Links to the survey: