SAFE — Sexual Assault Response and Prevention

Project Goal
Develop a replicable and sustainable program to provide education, training, and resources to reduce the risk of sexual assault for people with developmental disabilities (DD)

Project Summary
People with disabilities often lack access to resources and support when they experience sexual assault. Some victims may not even see what happened to them as being wrong or illegal. Also, some victims fear they could face consequences if they do report an assault, including retaliation from the abuser.

Building on decades of experience addressing sexual assault and abuse, SAFE is designing and testing a new program of education and risk reduction for adults and teens with DD as well as family members, teachers, service providers, and others. The project includes creating educational resources and working with a sexual assault victim service provider. The goal is to reduce instances of sexual assault among people with DD while improving response to assaults.