CXS | Believe, Support, Prevent: Understanding Sexual Violence & Bystander Engagement

MOCSA exists to improve the lives of those impacted by sexual assault and abuse, and to prevent sexual violence in our community. Sexual violence is not something that only happens in other places – it happens right here, in the Kansas City metropolitan area, every single day. And the impacts can be devastating, not only for the victims, but also for their friends and loved ones. In this presentation participants will learn about the important power of bystanders in situations including child sexual abuse, drug facilitated rape, and intimate partner sexual violence.  Intervention strategies, victim support, and reporting sexual abuse will also be discussed.  Participants will learn about sexual violence and how to support survivors including what to do if sexual violence happens to them or someone they know. Participants will also learn the three steps for bystander engagement to prevent sexual violence.

Melanie Austin is the Director of Education for the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA). She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and a B.A. in Spanish and Communication. She has extensive experience in coordinating federally-funded public health projects and through her work at MOCSA has been involved in preventing sexual violence in the Kansas City metropolitan area for the past six years. Ms. Austin is an excellent speaker and has presented at many regional, state, and local conferences.

MOCSA’s service area includes six counties in the bi-state Kansas City metropolitan area: Jackson, Platte, Clay, and Cass Counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas.

Their 24-hour crisis line, sexual assault counseling, adult survivor counseling, and hospital advocacy services are available to residents across all six counties in their service area.

In addition to services provided at their primary office location in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, They provide outreach counseling for adolescent and adult sexual assault victims around the metro.

MOCSA’s education programs for elementary, middle and high school students are available in more than 30 school districts throughout our services area.