# Kentucky advocates raise awareness of technology-enabled sexual violence  
**Published:** 2026-04-06T00:31:27.029Z  
**Source:** [Public News Service - Kentucky](https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/kentucky-advocates-work-to-prevent-sexual-violence/2660a91a-1bd8-44ef-b851-69aaa0f437d6)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-advocates-raise-awareness-of-technology-enabled-sexual-violence

April is Sexual Assault Prevention Month, and advocates across Kentucky are intensifying efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence, particularly harms driven by the internet, social media and artificial intelligence. According to reporting from [Public News Service](https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/kentucky-advocates-work-to-prevent-sexual-violence/2660a91a-1bd8-44ef-b851-69aaa0f437d6), the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) is leading statewide prevention efforts with its 13 regional rape crisis centers.

Jenna Cassady, chief policy officer for KASAP, said stalking and other forms of sexual violence increasingly involve technology and artificial intelligence. "Because advances in technology offer the opportunity to exploit someone sexually," Cassady explained. "Take pictures of them without their permission or even modify (the images) using AI."

One global survey found that [38% of women have personal experiences of online violence, and 85% of women have witnessed some form of digital violence](https://rainn.org/what-counts-as-sexual-violence/get-the-facts-about-tech-enabled-sexual-abuse/), according to sexual abuse advocacy organization RAINN. Rapidly changing technology that can be used for sexual violence is developing faster than laws making such actions illegal.

[Kentucky's state leaders recently kicked off the month](https://www.kasap.org/kasap-hosts-press-conference-in-frankfort/), with First Lady Britainy Beshear and Attorney General Russell Coleman affirming their commitment to ending sexual violence in the Commonwealth. The state has already advanced legislative efforts, including House Bill 219, signed in 2025, requiring sexual assault response training for all Kentucky emergency departments.

Rape crisis centers across the Commonwealth are hosting events during Prevention Month where community members can learn how to intervene and stop sexual assault. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, nearly half of women and around one in six men in the U.S. experience contact sexual violence in their lifetimes.

"We want to support survivors and remind communities that prevention is possible and where they can step in," Cassady underscored. The [KASAP network offers 24/7 crisis counseling, survivor support and prevention education](https://www.kasap.org/) through its 13 regional centers. Those needing help can contact the national RAINN hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) to be connected to local services.

## Sources

- [Public News Service - Kentucky](https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/kentucky-advocates-work-to-prevent-sexual-violence/2660a91a-1bd8-44ef-b851-69aaa0f437d6)
- [RAINN statistics on technology-enabled sexual abuse](https://rainn.org/what-counts-as-sexual-violence/get-the-facts-about-tech-enabled-sexual-abuse/)
- [KASAP press conference on Building a Safer Kentucky](https://www.kasap.org/kasap-hosts-press-conference-in-frankfort/)
- [Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs homepage](https://www.kasap.org/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Public News Service - Kentucky, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/kentucky-advocates-work-to-prevent-sexual-violence/2660a91a-1bd8-44ef-b851-69aaa0f437d6.