At the November Whitehall Township Crime Watch meeting, Community Service Officer Paul Davis and meeting attendees welcomed Megan Allen, outreach educator for Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley. Allen provided information on the organization and how it works within the justice system and the community.

Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley sees and helps a lot of sexual assault and rape victims, as they are the local rape crisis center, but Allen said the organization also provides services to other victims as well.

“We help other types of victims of violent crimes, (such as) surviving families of homicide, simple assault and battery (victims), and children who have experienced domestic violence in their homes,” Allen said.

Some of the ways the council helps victims are having a “special children’s room,” where counselors treat young victims; adolescent and adult counseling; support groups; and relaxation exercises.

The council also provides community awareness through outreach education, like what Allen presented at this crime watch meeting.

Another branch of the council is called accompaniment.

Allen said, “If someone needs to go to the hospital after experiencing violence and [she or he] needs medical issues taken care of, we will go with [the victim] and give [her or him] a little bit of advocacy.”

Accompanying a victim to the police station is another service provided.

Some of the warning signs of sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse are having a partner or relative who is controlling, irrationally jealous, possessive, quick tempered and manipulative, Allen related.

Verbal and emotional abuse is “underestimated in how much damage it can do to somebody,” Allen said.

Some of the effects of verbal and emotional abuse are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse.

Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley is located at 801 Hamilton St., Suite 300, Allentown. The 24/7 hotline is 610-437-6611.

In other crime watch meeting news, for reported incidents for the month of October, there were two sex offenses, six DUIs and 12 criminal mischiefs.

“Crime prevention is almost impossible,” Davis said. “However, victim prevention is very possible, and we can protect ourselves from being a victim.

“There’s nothing that can replace you,” Davis added.

November was the last crime watch meeting of 2015. Regular meetings will begin again Jan. 25, 2016; meetings with special speakers will start March 28, 2016. They will be held 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month in the public meeting room of the Whitehall Township Municipal Building, 3219 MacArthur Road.