April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
In our effort to virtually educate, empower, and engage our community like never before, we launched this website for the month of April. However, we know one month isn’t enough to raise awareness and prevent sexual violence. This is why this website will remain up and running until further notice. Explore the website (saamatstanford.com) to see how SAAM at Stanford went this year and see how you can continue to engage even after April!
About Sexual Assault + Prevention
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Sexual assault is a serious and widespread problem*:
- "Research on campus sexual assault describes 20% to 30% female (Cantor et al., 2017; Krebs et al., 2016; Lawyer, Resnick, Bakanic, Burkett, & Kilpatrick, 2010), 6.3% to 20% male (Cantor et al., 2017; Tewksbury, 2007), and 29.5% trans and gender nonconforming students (Cantor et al., 2017) have experienced sexual assault during college. In addition, 28.5% of women experience attempted or completed sexual assault before or after entering college (Krebs, Lindquist, Warner, Fisher, & Martin, 2007) and 18.3% and 44.6% of women respectively experienced rape and other forms of sexual assault in their lifetime (Black et al., 2011).
- Compared to White peers, racially minoritized populations also experience qualtitatively different experiences when compared to white peers (Black et al., 2011; Gross, Winslett, Roberts, & Gohm, 2006) because of experiences of sexual trauma intersecting with “societal trauma” (Bryant-Davis, Chung, & Tillman, 2009, p. 331) such as racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and other forms of systemic oppression.
- Despite these high rates of sexual victimization, studies have consistently demonstrated that sexual assault is extremely underreported (Fisher et al., 2003; Gardella et al., 2015; Lindquist, Crosby, Barrick, Krebs, & Settles-Reaves, 2016; Sabina & Ho, 2014; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000, 2006)".
- However, prevention is possible and it’s happening in our community. We continue to combat the risk of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse through conversations, programs, policies, and research-based tools that promote safety, respect, and equality.
- Want more info? Check out the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's SAAM resources and fact sheets, including “Your Consent Guide” and “We Can Stop Sexual Assault, Harassment, and Abuse Before They Happen.”
History of the movement
Past SAAM Programs
"My body is..." Campaign
"Consent is..." Campaign
Past Newsletters
SAAM 2022
April 1, 2022 - April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April 4, 2022 - SAAM at Stanford (feat. activist Lydia X.Z. Brown)
April 11, 2022 - Upcoming Events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (feat. activist Sarah Kim)
About SAAM 2020
- In the United States, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.
- In 2020, SAAM celebrated its 19th anniversary with the theme “I Ask” to empower everyone to put consent into practice.
- Since consent is a clear, concrete example of what it takes to end sexual harassment, abuse, and assault, this year’s campaign shares the message that asking for consent is a normal and necessary part of sex.
- We know that one month isn’t enough to solve the serious and widespread issue of sexual violence. However, the attention April generates is an opportunity to energize and expand prevention efforts throughout the year.
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month is about more than awareness — our ultimate goal is prevention. We need everyone’s help to end sexual assault.
April 18, 2022 - SAAM: Take Back the Night
April 25, 2022 - SAAM: Denim Day (feat. activist Mia Mingus)