Greetings and Blessings in Christ!

This weeks’ book reviews dealt with a serious topic that is often not discussed: rape. When someone thinks of rape, they normally think of a violent act involving a stranger. While that does occur, most rapes are committed by a known assailant.

I would like to thank the wonderful staff at www.rainn.org for giving me the permissions to quote statistics directly from their site. As we prepare to send the young women in our families off to another year of college, I would encourage you pray God’s protection over them. Use the following statistics to discuss their safety. In so doing, it is my hope that you are more mindful of your own circumstances as well.

College-Aged women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted
1 in 6 American women have been the victim of attempted/completed rape
Approximately 73% of victims knew their attacker
60% of rapes go unreported to the police
In the United States, sexual assault is committed every 2 minutes

RAINN’s statistics on the effects of rape are that victims are:
3 times more likely to suffer from depression.
13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.
26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.


Having faced this while I was a college student, it is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. If you know of anyone who has been sexually assaulted, I would encourage you to seek pastoral counseling, visit www.rainn.org for resources or to call the National Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

I encourage you to read my review of The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers. She captures the pain felt by victims and shows how it impacts everyone surrounding her.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art23228.asp

Please join me in the Christian Literature forum. Your input is important to me!
http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=184

Promise……next week will be much more upbeat! Join me as I review Diana Hagee’s book, The King’s Daughter and new release by Margot Starbuck, The Girl In The Orange Dress.

Hope to hear from you soon! Have a blessed week!

Lyn Sedmina, Christian Literature Editor
http://christianliterature.bellaonline.com

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