April is ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Month’
PRESS RELEASE:
LEWISBURG, W.Va. – April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a nationwide campaign dedicated to educating the public, advocating for survivors, and working to prevent sexual violence. Organizations across the country are coming together to shed light on this critical issue, foster conversations about consent and respect, and promote resources for survivors.
The theme “Together We Act, United We Change” highlights the importance of working together to address and prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. This campaign focuses on enhancing public understanding of sexual violence, amplifying the voices of survivors, and empowering us to work together to promote the safety and well-being of others. Everyone in our communities deserves to live in safe and supportive environments where they are treated with respect. When our workplaces, schools, and communities work together to uphold safety and respect, we make progress in preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes any type of unwanted sexual contact — including sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
Sexual violence impacts everyone. Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, and people who commit sexual abuse, assault, and harassment exist in all our communities. This emphasizes why it’s important for all of us to care about sexual violence and take steps to promote the safety and well-being of others.
Forms of sexual violence include:
- Rape or sexual assault
- Sexual harassment
- Sexual abuse
- Unwanted sexual contact/touching
- Sexual exploitation and trafficking,
- Exposing one’s genitals or naked body to others without consent,
- Nonconsensual image sharing and/or coercion (including AI-generated imagery)
- Words and actions of a sexual nature against a person’s will and without their consent
Statistics show:
- Over 53% of women and over 29% of men reported experiencing contact sexual violence (Chen, et al., 2023).
- More than 1 and 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the United States were raped in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022).
- 1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022).
- More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3%) have experienced violence in their lifetime (Rosay, 2016).
- 32.9% of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence (Tomsa et al., 2021).
In 1992, an 18-year-old Italian girl was raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor. He was found guilty but later appealed the court’s decision claiming that it was consensual sex. The court overturned the conviction, and he was released. A statement was then released from the court that argued that because the victim was wearing tight jeans, she had to help him take them off, and by removing the jeans, it was not rape but consensual sex. Women of the legislature protested the decision by wearing denim. The first Denim Day event was held in LA during the year 1999.
The tradition continues today to bring awareness to sexual assault. This year, on April 30th individuals worldwide will unite by wearing denim to honor Denim Day, a powerful symbol of solidarity and advocacy against sexual violence. The annual campaign calls attention to the harmful practice of victim-blaming and demonstrates unwavering support for survivors.
Family Refuge Center invites individuals, workplaces, schools, and communities to participate in Denim Day by wearing jeans, sharing stories, and joining local events. Let’s amplify the message that consent, and respect should always be the standard.
