HUDSON VALLEY  — As part two of a three part series, the Democrat spoke to Executive Director of Fearless! Hudson Valley, Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier about sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and crime victimization awareness. 

Education and awareness

During Sexual Assault Awareness Month and throughout the year, Kostyal-Larrier said that they spend a lot of time at SUNY Sullivan and out in the field doing community education and awareness. 

“Sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking really prosper in silence,” she said. “The more we can work together and the more informed we are in the community, the greater chance victims can get the resources and services that they need.”

In situations like domestic violence or sexual assault, many victims are afraid to report their abuse. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are over 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America today. According to the National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children, 90 percent of those survivors never report their abuse to law enforcement and more than 30 percent will never report their abuse to anyone. 

At Fearless!, Kostyal-Larrier explained that they are a confidential and free organization that will give victims the freedom to tell as much of their stories as they are comfortable with, without fear of retaliation from their abusers. 

“We don’t come from a place of making anybody do anything,” she said. “What we believe is that when victims have information, resources and services, they can make the most informed decision on what the next steps would be for their life.”

She said that one step to take is even just calling their hotline, (845) 562-5340, and not even having to give your name. 

“If you just want to explore what some of your options may be and to get additional information, you can do that,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “But the more information of resources and services that we make sure the whole community is aware of, the more informed decision victims can make.”

She also said that their hotline can be used by community members. If anyone knows of someone who is being abused or at risk and they are unsure of how to support them or what to do, she said calling the hotline is a great step in that situation as well. 

“You can always reach out and ask us some questions, because sometimes what we think would help somebody often could increase their danger or it could impact their safety,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “So we’re a resource not only for victims and survivors but for the community as a whole.”

Kostyal-Larrier also said that people more often than not don’t realize they’re a victim until they engage with an agency like Fearless! or someone mentions to them that the behaviors they are experiencing are unhealthy. She said that as they continue to educate high school and middle school students as well talking to victims, one important thing is helping them to identify the differences between healthy and unhealthy behaviors.

“Unfortunately, many of the messages that we’re getting in movies, on social media, or on other platforms that we are engaging in, are not demonstrating what a healthy relationship looks like,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “We have more work to do on raising awareness that many of the things that people are experiencing in their lives are actually unhealthy behaviors.” 

She referenced behaviors like controlling, possessiveness, name-calling and insulting as unhealthy in any relationship. 

In a partner situation, Kostyal-Larrier noted that constantly checking their phone or monitoring their money are some of the behaviors that the victim might not notice as abusive right away. 

Technology and abuse

Kostyal-Larrier also spoke about how the ever-evolving world of technology has made it more difficult for the work that they are doing. She noted that while technology has created access in positive ways, such as keeping our access open to the outside world during the Covid-19 pandemic, it can also be used as a very dangerous tool that’s often weaponized against victims.

“Many of the apps and many of the technological advances that have been made have been exploited by abusers and traffickers to stalk, harass and harm their victims,” she said “We have so much work to do and the laws are coming along, but they’re still behind on technology.”

Kostyal-Larrier mentioned the introduction of the revenge porn law as being one of the steps taken. This law in New York State states that it is a criminal or civil offense to disclose or threaten to disclose an intimate image of another person with the intent to cause harm. 

The act is punishable by up to one year in jail or three years probation and a fine of up to $1,000 in criminal court. The victim may also be awarded financial compensation in civil court and New York State is the first state to enable victims to seek a court order to remove content from websites that host or transmit the content. 

“We’ve actually done a lot of work on raising awareness of how technology can be used to harm,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “But we’re still seeing a significant increase in abusers using apps, GPS devices or cell phones in general to maintain stalking their partners. 

She that when thinking about trafficking or other forms of abuse, a lot of users are being lured under false pretenses through social media platforms. 

“Anything that can certainly have a positive impact can also be weaponized,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “We have a lot of work to do, and unfortunately, as fast as we’re trying to get the word out, technology is evolving even faster.”