The following is a guest post from Steve LePore, Executive Director of 1in6:
We wanted to let you know about an important opportunity 1in6 had the honor of participating in. On Wednesday, September 28, NBC will air an impactful episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” The episode will explore the often hidden and taboo subject of male sexual abuse. It is estimated that 1 in 6 men (nearly 19 million men in the US) have experienced unwanted or abusive sexual experiences before the age of 16.
Basketball superstars Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony guest star with Mehcad Brooks (True Blood) and Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years) on this powerful episode, which tells the story of a basketball coach revered by many in the community as a trusted mentor and teacher to generations of young men who comes under suspicion as a sexual perpetrator.
While the episode deals with a painful issue, NBC, the writers of L&O: SVU, and Mariska Hargitay must be commended on their commitment to creating an episode that is, in the end, affirming and hopeful to those who have been affected by these experiences. The Joyful Heart Foundation, 1in6’s founding board member David Lisak and Executive Director, Steve LePore, consulted on the script and are proud of the completed episode.
To learn more about this episode visit http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/engaging-men-preview.htm. To get information and resources about unwanted or abusive sexual experiences visit 1in6 at www.1in6.org or follow us on Twitter @1in6org.
Additionally, follow @FINALLEVEL on Twitter before, during and after the episode to participate in a live tweeting event with SVU star Ice-T, who will be answering your questions and providing behind-the-scenes details of the episode.
It is our mission to reduce the stigma and raise awareness around this issue, please consider forwarding this message, retweeting our tweets or promoting this information on Facebook.
Warm regards,
Steve LePore
Executive Director