The lawsuit against Cornell University has put sexual assault in the national spotlight. Much of what that survivor experienced is heartbreakingly familiar to us at the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. We have supported survivors since 1976 and now assist almost 5,000 survivors and their family members a year. While headlines and hashtags focus on one horrific and illustrative case 3,000 miles away, we must recognize this happens here in King County and Washington state as well. And there is something we can do.

Most sexual assaults never make headlines. An estimated three-fourths are never reported. At KCSARC, we hear regularly from people who have lived years, even decades without telling anyone. Chances are good you know someone who has experienced sexual violence, whether or not they’ve told you. Evidence shows supportive responses are linked to improved outcomes for a survivor. We shouldn’t wait for headlines to prompt us to do so.

Why do so few survivors report?…