NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hundreds of thousands of Americans deal with sexual assault each year, but according to the Sexual Assault Center, 63% of sexual assaults are never reported. When English isn't a survivor's first language, it can be extremely intimidating.
Betsey Mangum is a victim advocate at the Sexual Assault Center, which is also home to the 24/7 SAFE clinic. She says they have several therapists and two advocates who are bilingual but they need more bilingual volunteers.
"Having lots of different bilingual volunteers gives that face to face approach when trying to help people someone dealing with trauma," said Mangum.
Mangum explains that there is a lot of fear surrounding police and immigration but a bilingual volunteer can fix that.
"They can have someone who can translate, tell you their rights like that you don't have to show identification or talk to police if you don't want to," said Mangum.
The Sexual Assault Center does have "language line," where they connect you with a translator over the phone, but it doesn't compare to that face-to-face interaction, especially with someone who can understand your background.
You do have to complete a 40 hour training in order to be a volunteer but the course is free. You can either call the SAC at 615-259-9055 or fill out a volunteer form here.
