News

Pennsylvania Courts Launch Sexual Violence Awareness Campaign

May 01, 2025

In recognition of Sexual Violence Awareness Month in April, the Pennsylvania Courts recently launched a new digital ad campaign to inform the public about the resources available for survivors who seek the courts’ assistance.

Sexual violence involves any forced or manipulated sexual activity without consent. Nationally, one in five women and one in 71 men will experience sexual assault, with one in four girls and one in six boys assaulted before age 18.¹

The Protection of Victims of Sexual Violence or Intimidation Act, enacted in 2015, provides a civil remedy for survivors who may not qualify for a Protection from Abuse Order (PFA).

Specifically, survivors may seek a special type of protection order called a Sexual Violence Protection Order (SVPO) to guard against further abuse, even if no criminal charges have been filed. Unlike a PFA, an SVPO doesn’t require an intimate or household relationship with the abuser.

To increase awareness about this form of protection, the AOPC developed a targeted ad campaign that ran on Google and social media about SVPOs that links to a new E-Learning page where survivors can gather helpful safety information. 

More information about the campaign is available on Facebook or by visiting the PA Courts website. Survivors in need of support are encouraged to contact the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) at 1-888-772-7227 or visit https://www.pcar.org.

 

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Media contact: Casey Scheffler, 610-425-1712

 

 

"This campaign was supported by subgrant No. 44548, awarded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in these trainings are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of PCCD, the AOPC or the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. © Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts 2024. All rights reserved."