The Power of Sexual Assault Awareness Month
By Susan Sullivan, Prevention Campaign Specialist for NSVRC
This April brought us the most powerful Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in the 17-year history of the campaign. As the primary coordinator of all things SAAM for NSVRC, I was blown away at how many folks lifted up the message — embrace your voice — in communities around the country. In order to capture the scope of the campaign, we at NSVRC wanted to shine one final spotlight on the events, social media activism, and high-profile media engagement that made this year’s SAAM so successful.
Of course, it would be impossible to capture how many survivors shared their stories for the first time this April or felt supported in ways they hadn’t before. However, we do know that because of the #MeToo movement and the efforts of this year’s SAAM campaign, more people than ever before are recognizing their role in sexual violence prevention. More than ever before, people are speaking out against victim-blaming, understanding the importance of believing survivors, and embracing their voices to create safer spaces where sexual violence has no place.
Around the Country
I couldn’t talk about the successes of SAAM without highlighting the events that took place throughout the month. Before I do, I want to take a moment to reflect on and appreciate the hours of hard work of planning that went into these events — often by volunteers. Additionally, it’s important to recognize the ripple effects that come from the meaningful messages shared during these events. As you read through, I hope you’ll consider the widespread impact that their efforts will have long after April.
I want to take a moment to reflect on and appreciate the hours of hard work of planning that went into these events — often by volunteers.
The Native Alliance Against Violence in Oklahoma held their 4th Annual Gathering of Voice, an event which educated community members on how to support survivors and share the message that sexual violence is not a part of Native culture. The event’s theme was “creating safe spaces for our Native sisters” and gave tribal leaders the opportunity to publicly support domestic or sexual violence programs. Other speakers from local tribes shared ways that Native men could take the lead on preventing sexual violence. Brochures with a list of facilities that offer Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs and/or forensic medical exams were also handed out to attendees.
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Police Department wanted to share the message of the importance of believing survivors. They had students and community members sign pledges where they committed to start by believing survivors when they disclose. They received over one thousand signed pledges and used them to cover their police cruiser in a highly visible and demonstrative show of support for survivors.
Tamara Suguitan, a survivor from California, learned that April was SAAM when she was in group therapy at her local rape crisis center. To help thank the center for their crucial healing services and promote the center to other survivors, she created Rara Rocks, a rock-painting party held to bring the community together to spread assault awareness and encourage victims to reach out to their “rocks” and to local rape crisis centers. Her friends and family members helped pull off the successful event, which went on to be featured in the local media.
Indiana University East hosted a poetry slam for students to help break the silence around sexual assault. Participants shared poems, songs, or personal testimony which highlighted the unjust aspects of sexual violence. The goal of the event was to help survivors feel heard, safe, and supported in their home, work, and school communities. Participants expressed how safe and supported they felt during the event and were thankful for the platform to share their story and begin the healing process.
Online Involvement
Social media brought together voices from across the country and showcased the reach and momentum of the campaign. #SAAM saw countless organizations sharing Take Back the Night marches, tabling events, movie screenings, and local buildings that were lit up teal, the official color of sexual assault awareness. The SAAM hashtag was also flooded with continuous messages of support for survivors, with individuals showing where they hung their posters in their community, and folks sharing their completed Believe Survivors coloring pages.
On the Day of Action, more than 5,000 people wore teal to demonstrate their support for survivors. Many posted selfies showing off their teal t-shirts, nails, and ribbons along with messages of solidarity. We highlighted some of the organizations and colleges who took part in our Day of Action Social Media Round-Up. Another way folks got involved in the Day of Action was by joining in the Thunderclap to share a single message about SAAM, which was shared with over a million people.
Finally, we were thrilled to see those with the biggest platforms use that influence to share the message of SAAM far and wide:
In the Media
Sexual violence continues to be featured prominently in the media following the traction of the #MeToo movement. April saw three news organizations — the New York Times, New Yorker, and Washington Post — receive journalism’s highest honor, the Pulitzer Prize, for their reporting on high-profile cases of sexual violence and abuse. Accurate news coverage on sexual violence has been essential to helping Americans understand the issue and bring the topic out of the shadows. The stories that were recognized also all had real-world impacts and helped to galvanize the #MeToo movement.
A new documentary spearheaded by Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay called I Am Evidence premiered on HBO mid-month. I Am Evidence exposes and explains the need to eliminate the backlog of over 225,000 untested rape kits across the country. Hargitay’s organization, the Joyful Heart Foundation, encouraged viewing parties and grassroots activism following the documentary as part of SAAM.
And of course, the long-awaited guilty verdict in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial was a symbolic victory for many survivors during SAAM. The trial spanned nearly the entire month of April, and the verdict brought hope that justice can be served and proved it is possible for the truth to be heard, even years after an assault has been committed.
…the [Cosby] verdict brought hope that justice can be served and proved it is possible for the truth to be heard, even years after an assault has been committed.
Looking Ahead
April has come to a close, but the message of SAAM is only beginning to take hold. More and more individuals understand the importance of embracing their voice in this conversation. We can’t wait to see the progress this next year will bring and how the 2019 Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign will rise to support it. For now, I hope you’ll keep embracing your voice. Keep supporting survivors. Our voices have power — now and always.
