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Sexual assault hotline in Port Lavaca, TX

Sexual Assault Services in Port Lavaca, Texas

Free and Confidential Rape Crisis Services Available To Victims of Stranger and Non-Stranger Sexual Violence

Everyone Deserves to Feel Safe and Loved. Let Us Help You Get There.

24 Hour Crisis Hotline

The Crisis Hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to offer crisis intervention by phone for needs arising from issues such as family violence, stranger/non stranger sexual assault, child abuse and suicide. The crisis hotline is staffed by advocates who have been trained to work with victims of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.

On Site Therapy

Counseling services are offered to adults and children that have been directly or indirectly affected by abuse. We provide trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and non-offending guardians. These sessions help children and their families develop strategies for dealing with destructive effects of early trauma.

We work with survivors who have a range of victimization from childhood to current day. Our goal is to equip them with the coping skills and interventions needed to heal throughout their journey.

Accompaniments

Advocates are available 24/7 to accompany you to the hospital, law enforcement agencies, prosecutor's offices, and the courts. Advocates will offer support, information and referrals, help you understand your options, and help you understand and exercise your rights as a victim of crime.

Safety Plan

Assistance helping you to be safer in abusive situations when preparing to leave an abusive relationship, such as, safety planning with your children; in your home, work, and in public; safety with a protective order; and your emotional health.

Case Management

The Case Management Program is offered to families of Child Abuse, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. This program is designed to assure survivors and their families are seeking services in order to provide the maximum healing by goal planning, connecting with resources within the agency or other community organizations. Our caseworker assist survivors with various barriers they may encounter as well as updates on their case as it proceeds through the criminal justice system.

Legal Advocacy

Our legal advocates provides legal accompaniment and advocacy for clients who have pending court cases. We work with the District Attorney's Office to assist victims in obtaining protective orders. We also assist victims with intakes for Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid . Our team of legal experts has experience working with all types of cases and can guide you through the legal hoops and stand by your side for the duration of the process. We will always advocate for your legal rights against domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

Sexual assault is any unwanted, non-consensual sexual contact against any individual by a stranger or non-stranger. It often includes acts involving manipulation, physical force or coercion. Sexual assault is never the victim's fault. Consent is not given when a person uses force, threat or force, coercion or when the victim is asleep, incapacitated or unconscious.

What is sexual assault?

The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:

Attempted rape
Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body
Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape

What is rape?

Rape is a form of sexual assault, but not all sexual assault is rape. The term rape is often used as a legal definition to specifically include sexual penetration without consent. For its Uniform Crime Reports, the FBI defines rape as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” To see how your state legally defines rape and other forms of sexual assault, visit RAINN's State Law Database.

What is force?

Force doesn’t always refer to physical pressure. Perpetrators may use emotional coercion, psychological force, or manipulation to coerce a victim into non-consensual sex. Some perpetrators will use threats to force a victim to comply, such as threatening to hurt the victim or their family or other intimidation tactics.

Who are the perpetrators?

The majority of perpetrators are someone known to the victim. Approximately eight out of 10 sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim, such as in the case of intimate partner sexual violence or acquaintance rape.

The term “date rape” is sometimes used to refer to acquaintance rape. Perpetrators of acquaintance rape might be a date, but they could also be a classmate, a neighbor, a friend’s significant other, or any number of different roles. It’s important to remember that dating, instances of past intimacy, or other acts like kissing do not give someone consent for increased or continued sexual contact.

In other instances the victim may not know the perpetrator at all. This type of sexual violence is sometimes referred to as stranger rape. Stranger rape can occur in several different ways:

Blitz sexual assault: when a perpetrator quickly and brutally assaults the victim with no prior contact, usually at night in a public place
Contact sexual assault: when a perpetrator contacts the victim and tries to gain their trust by flirting, luring the victim to their car, or otherwise trying to coerce the victim into a situation where the sexual assault will occur
Home invasion sexual assault: when a stranger breaks into the victim's home to commit the assault

Survivors of both stranger rape and acquaintance rape often blame themselves for behaving in a way that encouraged the perpetrator. It’s important to remember that the victim is never to blame for the actions of a perpetrator.

https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-assault