A flag-raising ceremony was held Friday afternoon at Peterborough City Hall to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month in May.

Mayor Diane Therrien joined Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre executive director Lisa Clarke, John Howard Society peer support worker Wes Ryan in taking part in the ceremony.

The John Howard Society of Peterborough's Healing from Within program assists male victims of sexual assault in healing from the abuse.

To recognize the reality of sexual abuse and to address the trauma experienced by survivors (and the impact on society), program officials say it is important to have a broad definition of sexual abuse and a more comprehensive view of who the offenders and survivors are.

Sexual Abuse is any behaviour which undermines an individual's sexual identity or sexual safety. Sexual abuse includes not only criminal acts, but also concealed sexual acts (that are not often recognized either by the courts or by the general population), according to a release.

Examples are: derogatory comments of a sexual nature, leering looks, age-inappropriate exposure to sexual information or imagery, or the lack of appropriate information. Although these and other examples may not result in criminal charges, nor be intentional, they may nevertheless result in long-term disturbances for the victim, the release states.

Victims and offenders are from a broad range of individuals. While it was once believed that a larger percentage of survivors are female than are male, recent studies indicate that the numbers are not as different as previously assumed, and sexual abuse of males of all ages is not rare, the release states.