Start By Believing Campaign

Start by Believing Campaign

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office and Hope House have partnered together to launch a public awareness campaign that focuses on improving the public’s response to sexual assault.

The campaign is called, ‘Start by Believing.’ A friend or family member is typically the first person a victim confides in after an assault, and each person’s reaction and interaction with the victim are important steps in a long path toward justice and healing. Knowing how to respond is critical; a negative response can worsen the trauma and foster an environment where sexual assault predators face zero consequences for their crimes.

Research reveals that rapists attack an average of six times, which means that one failed response can equal five additional victims. Start by Believing will lead the way toward stopping this cycle by: creating a positive community response, informing the public, uniting allies and supporters, and improving our personal reactions to reports of sexual assault. The goal is to change our community and outcomes for victims, one response at a time.

The Start by Believing campaign was developed by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI). The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office will be working with Baraboo Police Department, Sauk County District Attorney’s Office, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors and Hope House SCW to share the message of the campaign not only with the Baraboo and surrounding communities, but also county-wide. The goal is for community members to see the Start by Believing message everywhere they look. There are numerous ways the community can get involved, such as scheduling presentations, writing articles for community newsletters, or using social media to spread the word. As the campaign launches, it is our hope that community members will reach out to the partnering agencies to hear more about its message and to start the critical conversations we need to be having about the topic of sexual assault.

When the Start by Believing campaign has been launched in other communities, it has resulted in increased awareness of sexual assault and, in turn, an increase in reported sexual assaults and survivors seeking services. The agencies involved in launching the campaign in Sauk County are prepared to respond to survivors in our county. If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, help and resources are available 24 hours a day by calling your local law enforcement agency or Hope House SCW using their 24 hour crisis line at 800-584-6790.

For more information, please visit www.startbybelieving.org. Join the movement locally and get updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/saukcountysheriff’soffice and on Twitter @amespolice. If you or your organization would like materials or to hear a presentation on Start by Believing, please contact Hope House SCW for any materials or information at 608-356-9123.