Norwalk officials recognized Sexual Assault Awareness Month Wednesday.

Mayor Barbara Smyth issued the proclamation during a ceremony at City Hall.

The event was also hosted by the Rowan Center, which supports survivors of sexual violence and trauma through various programs and services.

The nonprofit's CEO Sharon Walker Epps says while awareness about sexual assaults have improved, there has been an increase in cases of sex trafficking and digital exploitation involving children.

She says the increase is partly because of online recruitment, artificial intelligence and "a demand to exploit and abuse young people."

Epps encourages people to speak with their children and support legislation that protects kids in the digital space. She adds that kids need to be aware of these risks when online.

"Talk to them about digital safety, about boundaries about consent. About the fact that what they are going to see online is not real. The pornography kids are watching at 10, 11 and 12 years old is not real," she says.

Epps also says that there needs to be less shame and stigma around victims and "on to preparators where it belongs."

Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that nearly half of women and one in six men have experienced some sort of sexual violence in their life before 25.