WRAP holds sexual assault, domestic violence training session

BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — Leaders from across West Tennessee came together Friday for a special day of training, all focused on helping victims of domestic and sexual violence.

The Women’s Resource and Rape Assistance Program sponsored the training session. Organizers said the community needs to come together, especially professional agencies, to provide services focused on helping victims and holding their perpetrators responsible.

“Many people think that domestic violence and sexual assault is a victim problem, but it’s really a community problem,” WRAP’s Clinical Program Manager Cinda Gee said.

WRAP covers 19 counties in Tennessee, and they say about 50 percent of all crimes in any county are interpersonal violence crimes.

“Reducing and handling them, improving the way that people collaborate and deal with these types of crimes improves the safety of a community and reduces the violence in a community,” Gee said.

A probation officer for the state, Quantanette White feels sessions like this one are beneficial for people who deal with domestic violence and sexual assault crimes.

“Overall, altogether it has been informative because being a survivor, you know what you went through and also you know how to help others,” White said.

“It’s not just the victim’s safety — it’s the safety of everyone involved,” Gee said.

Organizers said there will be another training session later this month focused on the trauma faced by victims.