The sexual violence rate in Colorado is higher than the national average

According to the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 1 in 4 women will experience some sort of sexual violence in their life.

WATCHING OUT FOR YOU THISMORNING...SEXUAL VIOLENCE AFFECTS HURENDDSOF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS EACHYEAR.WHILE WE'RE MAKING PROGRESINSCOLORADO, OUR STATE STILL HAS ASEXUAL VIOLENCRAE TE THAT ISHIGHER THAN THE NATIONALAVERAGE.NEWS 5'S RENAE SKINNER JOINS USLIVE TO TALK ABOUT WHY THIS IS,AND WHAT'S BEING DONE TO HELPSURVIVORS OF TRAUMA23.8% OF WOMEN IN COLORADO HAVEEXPERIENCED SEXUAL VIOLENCECOMPARED TO 18.3% NATIONWI, DEACCORDING TO THE COLORADOCOALITION AGAINST SEX ASSAULT.OFFICIALS WITH THE AGENCY SAY,THE REAL FIGURE IS VASTLY UNDERREPORTED AND WILL LIKELY RISASEMORE AND MORE COMMUNITIES GETBACK TO NORMAL.I SPOKE TO THE EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF THE AGENCY, BRIEFRANKLIN,WHO SAYS THERE'S A LOTCONTRIBUTING TO WHY SEXUALVIOLENCE IS HIGHER IN OUR STATE.WE STILL HAVE A CULTURE OFVICTIM BLAMING...WHERE WE PUTFAULT ON THE SURVIVOR.FRNAKLIN SAYS WE DON'T TALKABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULTENOUGH...THEREFO RE THIS ISSUEIS DEEPLY STIGMATIZED.SHE ALSO POINTS OUT THATCOMMUNITIES NEED TO VE AHASERIOUS CONVERSATION WITH YOUNGPEOPLE ABOUT CONSENT."PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN WHAT AHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP IS AND WHATCONSENT IN ORDER TO UNDERSTANDWHAT IT ISN'T.WE NEED TO BELIEVE SURVIVORSWHEN THEY COME FORWARD.IT IS NOT OUR JOB TO DECIDE WHATHAPPENED AND WHAT DIDN'THAENPP.OUR ROLE IS TO SUPPORTTHEM AND GIVE THEM INFORMATIONAND RESOURCES SO THAT THEYAN CBEGIN THAT HEALING PROCESS"THE GOOD NEWS IS...TWO NEW BILLSWERE PASSED DURING THELEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT FOCUSON CIVIL JUSTICE.SENATE BILL 78 AND 88 ALLOWSSURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT TOSUE THE PERPETRATORS ANDINSTITUTIONS...THE COLORADO COALITION AGAINSTSEXUAL ASSAULT ALSO HAS A "YOUHAVEHE T RIGHT CAMPAIGN" GOINGON RIGHT NOW WHERE THEY AREPROMOTING THEIR RESOURCES ANDSUPPORT SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHOARE VICTIMS.BRIE...THE NEXT QUESTIONBECOMES...WHAT'S THE SEXUALVIOLENCE RATE IN SOUTHN ERCOLORADO?

WELL THIS INFORMATIONISN'T READILY AVAILABLE.THERE ISN'T A STATE WIDE SYSM TEFOR COLLECTING THAT DATA..OUR .LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIESAREN'T RUIEQRED TO BUT THEYOFTEN HAVE CRIME REPORTSDETAILING THISINFORMATION...LONG STORYSHORT..IT'S JUSTOI GNG TO TAKESOME TIME FOR US TO GET ACONCRETENUMBER...BUT REMEMBER...SEXUALASSAULT IS ONE OF THE MOSTUNDER- REPORTED CRIMES...SEVO ENIF WE WERE TO PROVIDE THATDATA...IT WOULDN'T PRESENT AFULL PICTURE OF 'SWHATHAPPENING.ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOUSOUTHERN COLORADO REE NASKINNER NE