Voices against violence
PAVE and Invisible Conflicts host awareness panel
Laura Vlieg
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News
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PAVE (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment) held its Chicago chapter kickoff event Sept. 13 at Loyola's Water Tower campus in Rubloff auditorium. PAVE, a nonprofit organization aims to shatter the silence about sexual violence.
Angela Rose, a survivor of sexual assault and founder of PAVE, began speaking and acting out against sexual violence at the age of 17 after being abducted and assaulted by a paroled kidnapper, rapist and murderer. Rose was a key participant in the passage of the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act in Illinois in 1998. Under the act, almost 200 sex offenders have been convicted as sexually violent persons.
Sexual assault is a hugely under-reported crime in this country and across the globe. The theme of the kickoff event was "Conquering Sexual Violence Locally and Globally," and speakers included sexual assault survivors Rose, Elizabeth Hendrix, founder of Invisible Conflicts Nathan Mustain, David Kanis, Ph.D., and Caroline Akweyo, a survivor of conflict in northern Uganda.
Rose and Hendrix were both assaulted in the Chicago area: Rose near Woodfield Mall and Hendrix in the Lakeview community. Both women, unlike many sexual assault victims, made their voices heard very quickly after being victimized. Rose has used her voice to promote raising awareness of a significantly under-reported and under-recognized crime in society. Currently there are seven chapters of PAVE and twice as many are budding across the country.
Hendrix fought off two sexual assaults within a matter of weeks. The first assault was in the elevator of her apartment building, in which she was able to fend off the assailant with some struggle. The second assault was around 2 a.m. on a Monday morning after being dropped off by a taxi after work. She was tackled to the ground, and she fought off the assailant using pepper spray that she carried with her.
Ever since her second assault, Hendrix recommends that girls carry pepper spray.
Angela Rose, a survivor of sexual assault and founder of PAVE, began speaking and acting out against sexual violence at the age of 17 after being abducted and assaulted by a paroled kidnapper, rapist and murderer. Rose was a key participant in the passage of the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act in Illinois in 1998. Under the act, almost 200 sex offenders have been convicted as sexually violent persons.
Sexual assault is a hugely under-reported crime in this country and across the globe. The theme of the kickoff event was "Conquering Sexual Violence Locally and Globally," and speakers included sexual assault survivors Rose, Elizabeth Hendrix, founder of Invisible Conflicts Nathan Mustain, David Kanis, Ph.D., and Caroline Akweyo, a survivor of conflict in northern Uganda.
Rose and Hendrix were both assaulted in the Chicago area: Rose near Woodfield Mall and Hendrix in the Lakeview community. Both women, unlike many sexual assault victims, made their voices heard very quickly after being victimized. Rose has used her voice to promote raising awareness of a significantly under-reported and under-recognized crime in society. Currently there are seven chapters of PAVE and twice as many are budding across the country.
Hendrix fought off two sexual assaults within a matter of weeks. The first assault was in the elevator of her apartment building, in which she was able to fend off the assailant with some struggle. The second assault was around 2 a.m. on a Monday morning after being dropped off by a taxi after work. She was tackled to the ground, and she fought off the assailant using pepper spray that she carried with her.
Ever since her second assault, Hendrix recommends that girls carry pepper spray.