JANESVILLE, Wis. -- Reported sexual assaults in Rock County rose drastically in 2009, and that has officials coming together to raise awareness of the problem.

In a park across from Mercy Hospital in Janesville, 300 pinwheels each represent a reported sexual assault in 2009. That's up from 200 in 2008, WISC-TV reported.

"Few crimes are more horrific than a sexual assault," said Janesville Police Chief David Moore.

Mercy Hospital's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program examined 145 victims in 2009, up from around 60 in 2008, according to program coordinators.

Of the 145 victims examined, the hospital said nearly half are younger than 12. Hospital officials said that since the start of 2010, more than 30 children younger than 12 have already been examined as victims of sexual assault.

"The victims that we find and the perpetrators that we find are actually within families. They're stepfathers, they're stepbrothers, sisters. So they're more of the family unit, or dysfunctional family unit, that seem to be in this situation," said Jackie Frier, sexual assault program coordinator for Mercy Hospital.

Care providers, law enforcement, and the Rock County District Attorney's Office are teaming together to inform the community of these crimes with the hope of encouraging victims to come forward.

"We're educating the young people that it is OK to report, and we are here to help them get through this process," said Frier.

"We cannot investigate those things that are not reported to us. The more acknowledgment that these things do occur in all communities across America, allows people to reach out and report them," said Moore.

Officials said they know more assaults are being committed than reported. By reaching out to victims, they said they hope to stop the violence from continuing.

"Make sure that the victims don't fall between the cracks, to make sure that we can interrupt cycles of violence in our community. If we don't deal with the trauma of victims of sexual assault now, there will be more and more victims, and more perpetrators in the future," said Kerri Parker, of YWCA Rock County.

Authorities said that by bringing a perpetrator to justice, a victim's healing can begin.

"It is an exceedingly personal crime and the psychological injuries outlast the physical injuries," said Moore.

The effort to catch those responsible is collaborative. From law enforcement to hospitals and shelters, groups are working together, WISC-TV reported.

An example of that is at Mercy, where testimony from Mercy's sexual assault nurse examiner program helped lead to a conviction, according to District Attorney David O'Leary.

The victim in that case, a 4-year-old, avoided having to take the stand, O'Leary said.