April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). SAAM was first formally recognized in 2001, but its roots go back over 56 years. Before the topic was finally accepted as a national awareness month, people placed milestones and advocates held protests and marches while creating their own “Sexual Assault Awareness Week.”
The first rape crisis center was founded in San Francisco in 1971, providing counseling and advocacy that challenged the police for survivor neglect. The Take Back the Night event, a charity event raising awareness for sexual and domestic violence, was held in 1978. There were many other changes in the following years that provided funds and advocated for sexual assault survivors, such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1993.
Efforts like Take Back the Night and VAWA showed that sexual violence prevention needed to be promoted. Those achievements were stepping stones for further awareness efforts. In 2000, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and the Resource Sharing Project were founded as national supports hubs. They held a poll for similar organizations, asking for their preferred color, symbol and month for sexual assault awareness campaigns. The results showed a favor in teal ribbons during the month of April as a symbol for awareness, officially launching SAAM.
Over the years, NSVRC’s main goal has been to educate people on the importance of the teal ribbon and the history behind it. They took their campaign and began to share it across workplaces, communities and school campuses.
Over 443,000 people over the age of 12 are victims of sexual violence every year in the United States. Almost every minute, someone is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that person is a child.
In the U.S., one out of four girls and one out of six boys go through sexual violence before the age of 18. However, many children may not realize what they experienced is wrong.
Children are more likely to be abused by someone they already know or trust. In 90% of child abuse cases, the perpetrator is either a relative or friend, whether it be a family friend, neighbor or babysitter. This commonly leads to the child thinking that it is a friendly act or act of love rather than an act of violence. The victim may worry about reporting the incident(s) due to possibly getting the abuser in trouble especially since they might already be close to them, making it harder to detect the assault.
In addition to prevention, communication is also encouraged in advocacy programs. This is by educating the child or teenager on boundaries and safety.
Violence and harassment will most likely depend on if consent is honored. The amount of force used is also important. Force can be physical or non-physical. Whether it be bullying, verbal force, threats or material, the victim is often persuaded into sex instead of willingly engaging in it.
Not realizing what counts as sexual assault can be very overwhelming or confusing for children and teenagers. A lot of people who experience rape or sexual violence also might be in the place that is supposed to support them and keep them safe, such as a high school or college campus. This makes it harder for the victims to report what they went through.
In fact, the actual percentage of child sexual assault cases is not known because of how often they go unreported.
Part of what sexual assault awareness is about is ensuring survivors or repressed victims that they can get help. It also relates back to why SAAM was created in the first place: to make survivors feel listened to and believed.
“It’s so important for people to voice concerns or situations of sexual assault because it can create sense of validation for individuals who have been victims of assault, perhaps allowing them to feel safer asking for help,” said Elise Christensen, Manual Mental Health Practitioner.
Having a good understanding of what sexual assault entails can help people better recognize danger that they or their friends might be involved it. If not, it could lead to further trauma as a result.
“Untreated trauma doesn’t just go away, it often intensifies. Sometimes it shows up through PTSD symptoms, anxiety, depression, difficulty with relationships or even substance abuse. Getting help can be really difficult but it can decrease the likelihood that the trauma compounds,” Christensen said.There are many resources like the National Sexual Assault Hotline, the NSVRC or even school counselors and Mental Health Practitioners that can help victims come to terms with their abuse by making sure their voices are honored.
