Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April)

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The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of the SAAM campaign is to work collectively with national and local community organizations to spread awareness and to use legislative, preventative, and educational measures to stop sexual violence and most importantly, de-stigmatize the notion of victims' seeking help.

According to the CDC:

  • More than 1 in 3 women experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during her lifetime.
  • Nearly 1 in 4 men experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during his lifetime.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 men have been victims of attempted or completed rape within their lifetimes.

History of Sexual Assault Violence Awareness Month


Teal Ribbon

Although more recently the #MeToo Movement heightened awareness of sexual assault, the Sexual Assault Awareness campaign started 20 years ago. The origins of the movement can be traced back to the 1970s and even earlier in the 1950s, with the intersectionality of race and gender. The campaign is credited for the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center was established in 2000. In 2009, President Obama was the first president to officially proclaim that April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The teal ribbon was adopted as a symbol of sexual assault awareness and prevention.

What is Sexual Assault?

According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network), sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:

  • Attempted rape
  • Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
  • Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body
  • Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape

(So yes, if a person is on a date and they are groped and/or fondled without their consent, that classifies as sexual assault.)

Books Dealing with the Subject of Sexual Assault

Yes Means Yes!, book cover
I Have the Right to a High School Survivor's Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope, book cover
The Body Keeps the Score Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, book cover
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide, When the Rainbow Is Enuf, book cover
Asking for It the Alarming Rise of Rape Culture--and What We Can Do About It, book cover
The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls a Guide to Recovery From Sexual Assault & Abuse, book cover
Trauma and Recovery the Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror, book cover
Writing Ourselves Whole Using the Power of your Own Creativity to Recover and Heal Sexual Trauma, book cover
Not That Bad Dispatches From Rape Culture, book cover
Beloved a Novel, book cover
Milk and Honey, book cover
Speak, book cover
 Read an excerpt #Metoo : Women Speak Out Against Sexual Assault, book cover
Sexual Assault on Campus, book cover
 Rape and Sexual Assault Healing and Recovery, book cover
Everything You Need to Know When You Are the Male Survivor of Rape or Sexual Assault, book cover
Written on the Body Letters From Trans and Non-Binary Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Viole, book cover
Catch and Kill Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, book cover


Find additional books on Sexual Assault in my book list:

Books for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) of April

National Resources

Community Resources

Ways to Take Action

Write your congress representative, learn about your state laws, get the latest updates on sexual violence legislation, and find out about sexual violence issues here:

RAINN PUBLIC POLICY ACTION

Use the following hashtags to promote awareness of sexual assault on social media:

#SAAM #SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth #SexualAssaultAwareness