A look into Teton County’s sexual assault statistics

Teton County is seeing higher sexual assault reports this year. The prosecutor’s office put together statistics of sexual assaults.

“As she put the numbers together we were pretty on track [with national statistics] and a few years ago a little bit lower. But we’ve seen a real increase in the first quarter of [2018] which if we stay at the rate that we are now, we will be four times the national average here in Teton County,” says Emily Bilcher, Director of Client Services and Outreach for the Family Safety Network.

But they say that may not mean the number of assaults is increasing.

“When I see those statistics a question I ask myself is the rate of violence increasing or are there more people reporting and that’s a hard thing to gauge,” says Bilcher.

Bilcher says survivors may be feeling more comfortable to report.

“And I think with the ‘Me too’ movement and with more stories out there, more stories being shared, that the stigma is lessening for victims of sexual assault. I think that people aren’t as afraid to come forward, that they’re less afraid of victim blaming and maybe more interested in holding perpetrators accountable.”

She says she wants to start a community effort in Teton County.

“It’s on all of us to make sure that the message is out there that sexual assault is not okay, and we need to have a community where survivors are supported and everyone feels safe.”

The calculations were done using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Idaho State Police Crime Data, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office and Population and Housing Unit Estimates.

If you are a victim of sexual assault in Teton County you can contact the Family Safety Network. They have a 24-hour hotline you can call 208-354-SAFE (7233).