Acknowledging Sexual Assault Awareness Month

March 26, 2024

The month of April holds with it the annual observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). SAAM is a time when we come together to raise awareness about sexual violence and its impact on survivors, families and communities. SAAM is an opportunity to educate about sexual assault prevention, advocate for survivors, and promote healing and recovery for those affected by sexual violence.

History of Sexual Assault Awareness Month

SAAM began officially in the United States in 2001 to bring attention to the issue of sexual violence and to promote prevention, healing and support for survivors. For many years leading up to the official recognition, community members were coming together to improve awareness of the widespread and serious problem of sexual violence and the way in which these problems weren’t being adequately addressed. SAAM was created to raise awareness about the issue and encourage everyone to act to prevent sexual violence and support survivors.

The theme of SAAM 2024 is “Building Connected Communities.” This April’s campaign prioritizes the importance of community coming together to work toward reducing and eliminating sexual abuse, assault and harassment overall. The role of community in this work is paramount in these efforts. When communities come together, we can build stronger, more informed and understanding relationships that acknowledge the powerful and far-reaching influences of oppressive practices, abuses of power, or viewpoints that contribute to higher rates of harassment and instances of sexual violence.

Why you should participate in activities and events

Participating in SAAM activities is important because it provides an opportunity to build awareness and allyship around the issue of sexual violence. By attending events, you can learn about the impact of sexual violence on survivors, families and communities, and gain a better understanding of how collectively we can prevent it. It also helps to create safe and inclusive communities where survivors feel supported and valued. It sends a message that sexual violence will not be tolerated and that we all have a role to play in preventing it. By coming together to raise awareness and support survivors, we can create a world where everyone can live free from fear of sexual assault.

Join in the many activities taking place this month

What to expect at each activity

What would a world free from sexual violence look like? – If the world was free from sexual violence, what would you do? What would the world look like? Take part in our inspirational table writing messages and statements acknowledging these hopes that we hold with a world free from sexual violence. Messages will be shared for the community to see throughout the month.

Fill in the Blank – Fill in the _____! Test your knowledge through our matching themed fill in the blank game. Through this activity we challenge you to test your knowledge on statistics and terminology related to sexual violence. Are you up for the fill in the blank challenge?

Clothesline activity – We’re leaving our thoughts, feelings and frustrations on the line in this clothesline themed activity. Through clothing shaped icons, the community is invited to participate in this activity where we challenge the phrase “what were you wearing?” Use your voice and share that it doesn’t matter what someone is wearing; sexual violence is never okay. Messages will be hung on a line during the course of the event and throughout the entire month of April.

Rock the Silence – Join as we look to break the silence on topics surrounding sexual violence. Gain valuable information about sexual violence, how to support survivors while also taking part in an interactive activity where you’re invited to paint rocks with warm and kind messages to survivors.

Battle of the Boundaries – Boundaries never need to be a battle. We all win when we discuss boundaries openly, confidently and with empathy and understanding. Take part in this engaging activity around what boundaries may be healthy and what boundaries may be unhealthy. When we can come together to understand healthy boundaries, we can work toward ensuring that relationships are built on a strong foundation of trust and understanding.

Get involved in other ways

• Follow along on Georgian’s social media channels to get engaged with posts about Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
• Join local events or activities for sexual assault awareness in your community.
• Learn more about the history of SAAM, and what you can do to support survivors and help prevent sexual violence.

This post was originally published in March 2023 and updated in March 2024.