While news on sexual violence may not be prevalent, the number of cases have been steadily increasing. According to Statistica (2020), there was an increase of 162 cases from 2015 to 2019 in Singapore, with most new cases elucidated through the introduction of more rigorous screening tools and training to spot such cases.
In line with the mission on increasing cognisance and ending sexual violence, the Lutheran Community Care Services Ltd (LCCS) and Footsteps to Inspire have jointly organised the “Let Our Voice Run” campaign, consisting of a virtual run and 16 days of activism which provided both the resources and safe space for survivors and concerned citizens.
Two of our School of Humanities & Behavioural Sciences (SHBS) students, Charlotte Yang and Liew Wenzheng, were in charge of one of the campaign’s webinars titled “Healing Harm, Restoring Connection”, which focused on expounding the role of restorative justice and victim-centric approach. These methods help to ensure that victims, especially young children, have the supportive environment needed to learn, heal and emerge stronger.
Our pioneer batch of Public Safety and Security (PSS) students have also pledged their support for the campaign. The students attempted the virtual run in teams of five and contributed a total distance of 327km under seven hours.
While they shared that the distance was gruelling, experiencing it helped them illuminate the personal and social context of sexual assault and strengthened the students’ collective resolve to address the increasingly dynamic issue.