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One in three students under the age of 18 report experiencing some form of abuse, Break The Cycle, a national nonprofit organization working to provide dating abuse prevention programs, reports.

That means that little Suzie, the shy girl who tenses up when a person comes near her, or Jeffery, the loud boy who has outbursts for no reason, could be a victim.

On college campuses, one out of every four college-aged women will be a victim of an attempted or completed rape during their academic career.

That means that Jane, the biology major who keeps to herself, could be a victim.

Sexual violence is a major epidemic throughout the world, and it can happen to anyone, anytime.

What is it?

Patrick Rushton, outreach/education manager for Victims Resource Center in Luzerne, Carbon and Wyoming counties, wants to help change those startling statistics.

Through his work at the Victims Resource Center, he recently spoke about a movement that's happening globally to encourage bystander intervention to help with sexual violence prevention.

Sexual violence, which many believe is strictly acts of unwanted sexual contact, can be a number of things, from learned attitudes and beliefs that dehumanize and objectify one gender; to sexual harassment, unwanted touching, rape, or the extremes of sexual and genital mutilation and death.

The problem is, Rushton said, in today's society, behaviors and attitudes and the lack of people speaking out against these behaviors, are driving the notion that unwanted sexual advances are OK and are partially contributing to the number of rapes and more violent sexual abuse cases.

"Preventing the behaviors from happening will help," he said, noting that education is key to cutting down on the number of sexual violence cases annually.

Rapists and societal norms

Rushton said that of all rapes committed, most are done by a person the victim already knows.

"Contrary to a lot of myths, these guys committing rapes aren't tattooed monsters, wearing hoodies, crawling out of swamps and dragging women off of streets," he said.

"Most of the time, they are someone the victim knows. They are someone who they were already intimate with."

These men though don't consider themselves rapists because of societal norms.

"The concept of the real man is distorted," Rushton said. "They think it is OK to get a woman drunk to have sex with her or pick up an already drunk woman in the bar. They think when a woman says 'no' they just need to try harder."

Reasons for this distorted concept, Rushton said, are because of television programs, movies and Internet sites that openly degrade genders, children and certain sexual orientation groups, as well as through behaviors learned while on athletic teams, at home or with peers.

'Bystander Effect'

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, based out of Enola, it is proven that most bystanders who witness an act of sexual violence will do nothing.

The center cites the 1964 rape and murder of Kitty Genovese, who was attacked and raped over a half-hour period before being killed, as a reason for the bystander movement.

During that time, 38 people witnessed the assault and did nothing.

The bystanders' response to the act was labeled the "bystander effect."

Over the next several decades research and programs about this effect were launched in the hopes of helping bystanders to speak up in the face of violence.

In 1968, researchers published work on bystander apathy, including five steps bystanders must move through before they are able to take action.

According to the NSVRC's "Engaging Bystanders in Sexual Violence Prevention," campaign, these steps include recognizing the event as something that can lead to violence, considering if the situation demands action, deciding if they have a responsibility to act, choosing the form of assistance to use and understanding how to implement their choice safely.

Situational factors, such as the number of witnesses, setting of the event and danger level for the victim, can also affect a person's decision to act in the face of violence.

Changing

behaviors

Rushton said the movements seen around the world are aiming to get bystanders involved when they see or hear something that can be considered sexual violence.

"It's about interrupting the behavior that supports the notion that some guys have that what they're doing is OK," he said. "If no one says anything about the behavior, then they think everyone is OK with it.

"Start addressing those notions when you hear a sexist remark. Speak up and say something," Rushton added. "Our silence gives them permission. Our silence says what you're doing is OK. We're endorsing their behavior."

He said that there are many programs out there that are moving for men to stop the trend and make rape and sexual violence, which for years was considered a woman's problem, their problem, too.

The bystander movement gets everyone involved, working together to fix a major problem.

"Who are these victims who need help?" Rushton asked.

"They are not just faceless numbers. They are our sisters. They are our daughters, our granddaughters, our partners, wives, mothers and grandmothers. That is why it is important to all of us to get involved and do something to intervene."

Help is available

At the Victims Resource Center of Northeast Pennsylvania, which serves Luzerne, Carbon and Wyoming counties, there are a number of programs, services and resources available to men, women and children who have become victims.

The center's purpose is to help victims while addressing the issue of violence against the victims and supporting the principles of nonviolence.

Services provided include a 24-hour telephone hotline staffed by trained counselors for victims; accompaniment to hospitals, police stations and court proceedings; advocacy for victims' rights; and assistance in various areas.

For more information on the Victims Resource Center, visit www.vrcnepa.org.

To seek help through the 24-hour hotline, call 866-206-9050.