Representatives from local Centre County organizations gave an assessment of how the county is doing in its prevention and awareness of sexual assault.

Centre Safe reported they saw about 500 victims including men, women, and children last year alone.

That number is higher than it was in the past and attribute it to increased confidence in victims to come forward and get help.

“Sometimes we think that greater numbers mean that there are more victims or survivors but I think what’s really happening is when people begin to believe that they’ve heard, that they will be believed, that somebody’s gonna help, that’s when they’re gonna start to come forward, and I think that’s exactly what’s happened.”

-Anne Ard, Executive Director of Centre Safe.

The children’s advocacy center sees about 300 children in the county for sexual and physical abuse.

They say it’s important to educate your child about abuse as young as eight years old.