Honoring Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April 25th marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Born as a result of the sexual assault and domestic violence activism that rose to prominence in the 1970s, SAAM was first nationally observed in 2001 to bring more visibility to these issues through education about healthy sexuality, consent, and bystander intervention. SAAM is a reminder that sexual violence affects everyone and that it's important for us to facilitate these conversations as a form of prevention. Here are some ways to take action and advocate for sexual assault awareness within your community:

Support survivors

Over 53% of women and over 29% of men report experiencing contact sexual violence. Many of us are either survivors of sexual violence or know someone who is and it's crucial to provide them a sense of understanding and reassurance when sharing their experiences. Being judgmental or dismissive can create feelings of shame within the survivor and negatively affect their recovery journey. 

Educate yourself

What's considered sexual violence is often misunderstood within our society. This includes: rape or sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, unwanted sexual contact/touching, sexual exploitation and trafficking, exposing naked body or genitalia to others without consent, nonconsensual image sharing and/or coercion (including AI- generated imagery), and words/actions of a sexual nature to others without consent. It's important to create awareness to build healthy social dynamics with others as well to know what to do if inappropriate sexual behaviors take place. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center is an excellent resource to always stay knowledgeable and informed. 

Challenge harmful myths

Reinforcing myths about sexual violence hurts both survivors as well as conversations surrounding the topic. Sexual violence doesn't have a specific profile and anyone can be a survivor or perpetuator of it regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. The Chicago based organization Resilience provides a comprehensive list of myths and facts surrounding sexual violence.

Create safer spaces

Center survivors and their experiences within your organizations. Actions like mandatory sexual harassment trainings, participating in SAAM, and having readily available resources are great ways to create an environment where sexual violence is acknowledged and not tolerated.