Get involved in "Denim Day MKE" & support sexual assault survivors

MILWAUKEE (WITI) – One week before Denim Day Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett and Dr. Magda Peck, Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, are calling on the Milwaukee community to pledge support for local survivors of sexual assault by participating in the international awareness day on April 23.

“The statistics around sexual assault are sobering,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “Denim Day is about survivors and community members standing together to support those who have been assaulted and making a statement against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault,” said Mayor Tom Barret. “I encourage employers, organizations, and individuals throughout the community to get involved.”

Individuals and businesses can register participation and find tool kits and materials to coordinate Denim Day activities at www.denimdaymke.org.

In the United States, one in six women and one in 33 men, along with one in five college students, are victims of sexual assault.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that more than half of rapes and assaults go unreported, a common reason being that many victims feel they won’t be believed or they will be blamed for their attack. Raising awareness is the first step toward prevention.

“Sexual assault is a public health issue that can result in a lifetime of consequences for survivors, including depression and post-traumatic stress, which are linked to higher college drop-out rates,” said Dr. Magda Peck, Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health. “I applaud my colleagues in higher education who have already pledged support for Denim Day on their campuses, and ask the entire Milwaukee community to join.”

Local college and university campuses that have signed on to participate during Denim Day 2014 include the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Alverno College, Mount Mary University, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Bryant & Stratton College, Marquette University, and Concordia University Wisconsin.

Denim Day Milwaukee is coordinated by a collaborative group of organizations and supports the work of The Healing Center, Pathfinders, and Aurora Health Care’s Sexual Assault Treatment Center.