An Omaha organization that helps women dealing with abuse has seen a rise in sexual assault reporting in the last year.
Elizabeth Power with the Women's Center for Advancement says more sexual assault victims are coming forward in light of recent national movements like #MeToo and Time's Up. "With as many powerful women who have come out and talked about their experience through their profession has made women locally believe that, 'Those aren't appropriate actions in my workplace either.'"
Power says services in 2017 saw an increase of about 10,000 over 2016, and she says that is a direct correlation with the current social climate. "It's okay to ask somebody to clean up their language. It's ok to tell somebody you're uncomfortable with what they're talking about and if we never as a society speak up, then there will certainly never be change."
One of the biggest things, Power says, is a victim being comfortable with sharing their story and being able to raise their voices against their abusers. "If you're concerned about a situation, just reach out. There is no shame, and there's no harm, in asking questions. Everything we do is anonymous, we're not going to tell anyone that you worked with us."
Power encourages anyone who may be in a crisis or knows someone who may be in need of their services to call the WCA 24-hour hotline at 402-345-6555.