The reported increase in sexual assaults in Bermuda merely scratches the surface and in no way reflects the magnitude of the problem.That was the view expressed yesterday by the heads of two helping agencies that deal with the victims of sexual abuse.Martha Dismont, executive director of The Family Centre, and Elaine Williams, of the Women’s Resource Centre, concurred that the figures released “do not truly reflect” the extent of the problem.“For the most part I’m concerned, as much as I’m grateful that the police are doing their job which is about safety for the Island, I’m concerned that if the statistics show that even though there is less crime there are more people in dire straights,” said Ms Dismont.“There are problems due to unemployment, financial problems, behavioural problems the list goes on. It is quite concerning because all we’re doing is containing the problem and eventually it will explode because there are still Bermudian families struggling.”On the increase in sexual assaults she said it could well be that the incidents are being reported more. Ms Williams agreed and said: “There was an increase in reported sexual assault in 2001 by 50 percent.“It is important to remember that these statistics reflect sexual assaults reported to the Sexual Assault Response Team. We are aware that there are sexual assaults that go unreported, particularly during the summer months when people let down their guards.“It is also happening to males who are generally unwilling to report the assaults,” said Ms Williams.She also noted that “these figures include an increase in teen victims which we believe reflects a need for awareness in the community in general”.“Awareness and education can greatly decrease one’s potential of being sexually assaulted,” she said.“It is important to remember that sexual assault does not discriminate. The WRC runs awareness programmes including basic self-defence techniques, but it is surprising that the workshops are not completely filled considering the problem.”Ms Dismont noted: “This Island is very good at hiding things and the figures bear out the fact that things are much worse than they would appear to be because we’re seeing an increase in need for support from families, which means people are hiding things or they’re suppressing the challenges that they are having.“However, there are a lot of organisations and agencies beginning to work together to get at the root cause of the challenges at hand. There is a lot of good work going on behind the scenes, but if those agencies and organisations do not have the support and the priority attention that they need the situation will worsen before it gets better.“The attention is not on what is going on with Bermudians and their families. We do not prioritise in this community from the business level, right through government to the schools.“We have not given enough priority to what’s really happening to Bermudians in their own country,” said Ms Dismont. “It means getting to the heart of the matter, and right now we have to rebuild this community by being compassionate.“I had a man call me today who has been struggling for a long time, he said he has nothing left. People look at him with disdain, they don’t give him the opportunity or the chance to get out of his situation.“He’s unemployed, trying to get a hustle but more importantly how do we get him and better yet, this entire country, back to some level of dignity and opportunity for Bermudians.“And the impact on the children is even worse, but what do you expect if the adults are not in a healthy state and they are raising children,” she added.“The statistics on sexual assaults only capture what has been reported. Those of us out in the field suspect that there are many, many more unreported cases because people are good at hiding things especially if it’s humiliating and embarrassing.“I believe that the police have done a good job at making us feel more safe but we are only scratching the surface because we haven’t gotten to the core of providing support to young people and adults who are in trouble,” said Ms Dismont.“Unemployment in Bermuda, on the part of Bermudians, has also raised the issue of class distinction to a very ugly level,” she added. “We have got to lock arms and work together and recognise the strength that individuals have on this Island and build them up on their strengths.“These are circumstances that people have fallen into where they weren’t born that way. Our job is to eliminate the circumstances so we can see the strength of the people here, and it can only be done with compassion,” she said.Meanwhile, the WRC will host another workshop on August 20 on “Personal Safety and Self-defence”. It is designed for anyone interested in learning more about how to protect themselves from sexual violence, including men and young people.“We encourage the community to support us as we advocate for this very necessary cause,” said Ms Williams. WRC also operates a 24-hour hotline for crisis situations, the number to call is 295-7273.