Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Last updated
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Also calledSAAM
Liturgical colorTeal
TypeInternational
FrequencyAnnual
Related toDay of Action, Denim Day

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is an annual campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence in the United States. [1] It is observed in April.

Contents

Each year during the month of April, state, territory, tribal and community-based organizations, rape crisis centers, government agencies, businesses, campuses and individuals plan events and activities to highlight sexual violence as a public health, human rights and social justice issue and reinforce the need for prevention efforts.

The theme, slogan, resources and materials for the national SAAM campaign are coordinated by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center each year with assistance from anti-sexual assault organizations throughout the United States.

History

The 1970s saw a significant growth for prevention and awareness of sexual violence across the country, following the general trend of social activism throughout the decade. Moving beyond awareness of the issue, the Bay Area Women Against Rape opened in 1971 as the nation's first rape crisis center offering immediate victim services. [2] With this heightened awareness of sexual violence, state coalitions began to form, beginning with Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in 1975. [3]

As early as 1975, Take Back the Night marches rallied women in organized protest against rape and sexual assault. [4] These marches protested the violence and fear that women encountered walking the streets at night. Over time these events coordinated into a movement across the United States and Europe. Because of this movement broader activities to raise awareness of violence against women began to occur.

In the early 1980s, activists used October to raise awareness of violence against women and domestic violence awareness became the main focus. In the late 1980s, the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) informally polled state sexual assault coalitions to determine the preferred date for a national Sexual Assault Awareness Week. [5] A week in April was selected. By the late 1990s, many advocates began coordinating activities and events throughout the month of April, advancing the idea of a nationally recognized month for sexual violence awareness and prevention activities. SAAM was first observed nationally in April 2001.

Survivors, advocates, and state coalitions mobilized around the creation and implementation of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. This bill was the first national law requiring law enforcement to treat gender violence as a crime rather than a private family matter. [6] VAWA was also designed to strengthen legal protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual violence as well as expand services to survivors and their children

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center was established in 2000 by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the Center for Disease Control. [7] In 2001, the NSVRC coordinated the first formally recognized national Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign, and still facilitates it today. In 2005, the campaign shifted to prevention of sexual violence and the first tool kits were sent out to coalitions and rape crisis centers across the country. [8] Awareness for the campaign culminated in 2009 when Barack Obama was the first president to officially proclaim April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. [9]

Color and symbol

State, territory, and tribal sexual violence coalitions were polled in 2000 by the Resource Sharing Project (RSP) and the NSVRC to determine that the color blue was the preferred color for sexual assault awareness and prevention and that April was the preferred month to coordinate national sexual assault awareness activities. The teal ribbon was adopted as a symbol of sexual assault awareness and prevention. [10]

Activities and Events

Day of Action

The first Tuesday in April is the SAAM Day of Action and provides an opportunity for everyone to take action in preventing sexual violence.

The Clothesline Project

Beginning in 1990 in Massachusetts, The Clothesline Project is made up of t-shirts created by survivors of violence, or created in honor of someone who has experienced violence. The Clothesline Project provides evidence that incest, domestic violence, and sexual violence exists in our communities and is a visual reminder of statistics that we often ignore. [11]

Take Back the Night

Take Back the Night is an international event that began in the early 1970s in response to sexual assaults and violence against women. Local communities have organized TBTN marches and rallies to unify individuals against violence in their communities. TBTN can include a candlelight vigil, a rally, a survivor speak out, and a large scale public march.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

Created in 2001, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an international men's march to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. The event helps to bring community awareness of sexual violence and have everyone involved in the conversation. [12]

Denim Day

Peace Over Violence facilitates a Wednesday in April as Denim Day as a symbol of protest against misconceptions around sexual assault. The event was originally created in response to an Italian Supreme Court case in which a rape conviction was overruled because the victims tight jeans implied consent. [13]

2018 Campaign Theme

In 2018, SAAM celebrated its 17th anniversary with the theme Embrace Your Voice to inform individuals on how they can use their words to promote safety, respect, and equality to stop sexual violence before it happens. More specifically, individuals can embrace their voices to show their support for survivors, stand up to victim blaming, shut down rape jokes, correct harmful misconceptions, promote everyday consent, and practice healthy communications with children. NSVRC developed four key resources for this campaign including fact-sheets, Embrace Your Voice, Everyday Consent, Healthy Communications with Kids, and Understanding Sexual Violence.

2019 Campaign Theme

The 2019 SAAM theme is I Ask. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network</span> American nonprofit organization

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is an American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as the Department of Defense Safe Helpline, and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice through victim services, public education, public policy, and consulting services.

Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence that includes child sexual abuse, groping, rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, and the torture of the person in a sexual manner.

Some victims of rape or other sexual violence incidents are male. It is estimated that approximately one in six men experienced sexual abuse during childhood. Historically, rape was thought to be, and defined as, a crime committed solely against females. This belief is still held in some parts of the world, but rape of males is now commonly criminalized and has been subject to more discussion than in the past.

Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, act to traffic a person, regardless of the relationship to the victim. This includes forced engagement in sexual acts, attempted or completed acts and occurs without the consent of the victim. It occurs in times of peace and armed conflict situations, is widespread, and is considered to be one of the most traumatic, pervasive, and most common human rights violations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Back the Night (organization)</span> International non-profit organization

Take Back the Night is an international event and non-profit organization with the mission of ending sexual, relationship, and domestic violence in all forms. Hundreds of events are held in over 30 countries annually. Events often include marches, rallies and vigils intended as a protest and direct action against rape and other forms of sexual, relationship and domestic violence. In 2001, a group of women who had participated in the earliest Take Back the Night marches, came together to form the Take Back the Night Foundation in support of the events throughout the United States and the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violence Against Women Act</span> United States crime legislation

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress when prosecutors chose to not prosecute cases. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office on Violence Against Women</span> US agency with mission to respond to and reduce violence against women

The United States Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) was created following the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994. The Act was renewed in 2005, 2013 and again in 2022. The Violence Against Women Act legislation requires the Office on Violence Against Women to work to respond to and reduce violence against women in many different areas, including on college campuses and in people's homes. VAWA requires Office on Violence Against Women to administer justice and strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Rape crisis centers in the United States, usually capitalized as Rape Crisis Center and often abbreviated as RCC, are community-based organizations affiliated with the anti-rape movement in the U.S. Rape crisis centers in other countries offer similar services, but have different histories and vary in their organizational structure.

ValorUS, formerly the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), is a nonprofit membership association of rape crisis centers and sexual assault prevention programs in the State of California, in the United States. CALCASA is the only statewide organization in California whose sole purpose is to promote public policy, advocacy, training and technical assistance on the issue of sexual assault. CALCASA’s primary members are the rape crisis centers and rape prevention programs in the state. CALCASA also has affiliate members which include organizations, businesses, individuals and others committed to their mission and their vision of the elimination of sexual violence. Its programs, projects and campaigns include the National Sexual Assault Conference, PreventConnect, Raliance and Bold Moves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Initiatives to prevent sexual violence</span> Responses aimed at combating sexual violence

As sexual violence affects all parts of society, the responses that arise to combat it are comprehensive, taking place on the individual, administrative, legal, and social levels.

The anti-rape movement is a sociopolitical movement which is part of the movement seeking to combat violence against and the abuse of women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Sexual Violence Resource Center</span> US non-profit agency

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is an American nonprofit organization that addresses the causes and impact of sexual violence through collaboration, prevention, and resources. Working in collaboration with state and territory sexual assault coalitions, representatives from underserved populations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, and a host of community-based and national allied projects, NSVRC provides national leadership to address and prevent sexual violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect</span> US nonprofit organization

The Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), known as the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape from 1975 to 2023, is an organization that opposes rape and sexual violence in Pennsylvania and the United States, and advocates for victims of sexual violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic violence in the United States</span>

Domestic violence in United States is a form of violence that occurs within a domestic relationship. Although domestic violence often occurs between partners in the context of an intimate relationship, it may also describe other household violence, such as violence against a child, by a child against a parent or violence between siblings in the same household. It is recognized as an important social problem by governmental and non-governmental agencies, and various Violence Against Women Acts have been passed by the US Congress in an attempt to stem this tide.

The Clothesline Project is an American non-governmental organization created to bring awareness to the issue of violence against women. For those who have been affected by violence, it is a means of expressing their experiences by decorating a t-shirt. After the shirts have been decorated, they are hung on a clothesline display. The intention of the display is to honor survivors and act as a memorial for victims. It is also intended to aid in the healing process for those who were directly affected and those who have lost someone special to this violence. Lastly, the clothesline display is to educate society and promote awareness about the extent of violent crimes against women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1in6</span> American nonprofit organization

1in6 is an American nonprofit organization that provides support and information to male survivors of sexual abuse and assault, as well as their loved ones and service providers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual assault of LGBT persons</span>

Sexual assault of LGBT people, also known as sexual and gender minorities (SGM), is a form of violence that occurs within the LGBT community. While sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence can occur in all forms of relationships, it is found that sexual minorities experience it at rates that are equal to or higher than their heterosexual counterparts. There is a lack of research on this specific problem for the LGBT population as a whole, but there does exist a substantial amount of research on college LGBT students who have experienced sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Patricia Occhiuzzo Giggans, also known as Patti Giggans, is a Los Angeles–based feminist activist and advocate for supporting victims of domestic violence.

Kalimah Johnson is a therapist and clinical social worker who specializes in cultural-specific holistic healing. She is the founder and executive director of the SASHA Center in Detroit, Michigan and has been influential in the #MeToo movement.

The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC) is a nonprofit organization that provides health resources to Native American women and also advocates for women's health, housing, and domestic violence support. The organization was founded and is led by Native American women.

References

  1. ↑ Obama, Barack (2010-01-04). "Presidential Proclamation - National Sexual Assault Awareness Month". Office of the Press Secretary. The White House. President Barack Obama. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  2. ↑ "About – BAWAR". www.bawar.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  3. ↑ "About PCAR | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)". www.pcar.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  4. ↑ "International History of Take Back The Night". www.takebackthenight.org. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ "SAAM History". nsvrc.org.
  6. ↑ "History of VAWA | Legal Momentum". www.legalmomentum.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  7. ↑ "About the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)". www.nsvrc.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  8. ↑ "History of Sexual Assault Awareness Month | National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)". www.nsvrc.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  9. ↑ "Barack Obama: Proclamation 8359—National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 2009". The American Presidency Project. 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  10. ↑ "SAAM Graphics". nsvrc.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  11. ↑ "About the Clothesline Project | Clothesline Project". clotheslineproject.info. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  12. ↑ "Welcome | Walk a Mile in Her Shoes". www.walkamileinhershoes.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  13. ↑ "About | Denim Day". denimdayinfo.org. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  14. ↑ "Sexual Assault Awareness Month - I Ask". National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
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