Silent No More Rape victims aren't to blame, regardless of the circumstances. by BRENDA CANADY & SUSANNA PARKINSON e read the Flyer's account of Kimberly Talley's horrifying rape with great interest and admiration. As professionals in the area of sexual assault, we support and applaud her decision to speak publicly about her ordeal. Likewise, we support just as strongly other rape victims' desire to remain silent. The Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center (formerly Rape Crisis) has historically been part of the culture of silence that surrounds rape. This has occurred consciously as well as unconsciously and derives primarily out of our respect for the client's privacy rights. Recently, however, we have come to realize that the agency has as great a responsibility to the community as to our clients, which has resulted in our movement toward a greater public profile. A sign is being erected on our building for the first time in the center's 24-year history. A media campaign is currently under way to increase public awareness of the center and its services. The center provided services to more than 1,100 victims in 1998. It is quite probable, however, that the majority of people reading this have never heard of this city agency. Ironically, it is widely known throughout the United States for being the first, and for many years the only, center of its kind. We have received national awards and media coverage. Over the years we have trained hundreds of professionals who have since developed centers like ours in other parts of the country. Unfortunately, most Memphians aren't aware of us until someone they know becomes a victim of this violent and intimate crime. We hope to change this situation in the coming months through the media campaign and a 5K run in the fall, titled "Take Back The Night." We hope to make the public aware that rapes and other sexual assaults occur under widely varying circumstances. With this, unfortunately, comes varying degrees of compassion and support from all sectors of the community. Support often depends upon such factors as the relationship of the victim to the suspect. The situation described by Ms. Talley, that of a stranger assault, though becoming more common, makes up less than 10 percent of the cases the center serves. Your article was correct that acquaintance and date rape, particularly among females between the ages of 13 and 17, presents a larger problem in Memphis and Shelby County. Victims of date and acquaintance rape too often receive less support from family members, acquaintances, and the general public, and, surprisingly, even from professionals working in the field. Too often these victims are blamed for "contributing" to their assault. Circumstances which are clearly beyond her control -- as those described by Ms. Talley -- are often used to validate a victim's "worthiness," and to an even greater extent, a victim's credibility. As professionals, we will continue to urge any victim of sexual violence to report the incident to law enforcement. The Memphis media have been sensitive to the unique privacy needs of rape victims. We would be more likely to encourage victims to speak out if the public response was as positive for all victims of sexual assault. In any case, the center will continue its efforts to serve and support these individuals equally, whether vocal or silent, regardless of the circumstances of the assault. (Brenda L. Canady, C.M.S.W., is the manager of the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center. Susanna Parkinson, M.A., is coordinator of rape crisis services. The phone number for the center is 327-0233.)