It’s no secret that the United States is currently experiencing a steep economic decline, and with many experts saying that recessions often lead to an increase in violent crimes, the difficult times may get worse before they get better.

This month, Catholic Charities of Chenango County is recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness month in an effort to shed some light on a topic that many consider taboo and to get people to talk openly about the issues surrounding sexual assault.

It’s not a pleasant topic, and while many wish they could just pretend it does not exist, the statistics on sexual assault are too frightening to ignore. In the United States, one in six women will be the victim of an attempted or successful sexual assault. Those statistics prove that this is not an issue that can be swept under the rug and ignored.

It seems impossible to think that in this day and age, crimes like this are still so prevalent. Our country and the world has evolved so much. We’re able to send rockets into outer space. We have the ability to clone living organisms, to cure diseases that could have wiped out a population years ago, but even with all of these advancements, we haven’t progressed past the point of violence and abuse.