April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Published on April 15, 2021 in FEATURES by Features Staff
By Kathy Williams, Features Editor Sexual assault, harassment and abuse can happen to anyone at any given location whether on campus, in public or online. To raise awareness and expand the conversation surrounding this misconduct, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). People advocating for prevention and awareness for sexual assault has been prevalent in the United States since the 1940s and 50s movement for equality. Although at the forefront was the fight for African Americans to be treated with equal dignity and respect as their white peers, some activists, especially Black women and women of color, raised concern for the domestic violence that was being swept under the radar.
âText me when you get home safe.â
âKeep your keys in your hands. Take a well-lit route home. Wear shoes you can run in. Talk loudly when on the phone.â
These phrases have run through nearly every womanâs head when traveling alone in public, particularly at night. Approximately six in ten women say they take precautions to avoid sexual assault. The same amount of men say they do not take any sort of precaution.
Women frequently feel unsafe when out walking alone, and this must change. In 2021, it is unacceptable that violence against women remains a global crisis.
On the evening of March 3, Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, was kidnapped and murdered while walking home from a friendâs house in central London. In response to Everardâs tragic death, women around the world have recently shared their fears and experiences with harassment, sparking a global social media movement with the hashtags, â#ReclaimTheseStreetsâ and
Delaware Recognizes April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month wrde.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wrde.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
ANGOLA â Though she loves Trine University, it wasnât easy for Danielle Crosby to come back.
During an emotional address at the universityâs Take Back the Night rally and march, the 2012 graduate and domestic violence survivor described anxious feelings as she returned to the school she was attending when her abusive relationship began.
âBut for the first time ever, I wanted to come back and actually make it a place where I could make a change,â she said.
The annual event, held Wednesday in the MTI Center, featured personal stories from several program participants.
Mayor: âDonât be afraid to stand upâ
East Carolina Universityâs Helping Our Students Thrive (HOiST) held its final discussion of the semester and presentation titled âHOiST: Understanding Sexual Assault and Title IX Resources,â on April 15 with topics on how to respond to disclosed concerns from students.
Associate Dean of Students Lauren Thorn said the HOiST series has highlighted campus services and resources to students as well as promoted the partnership between the Office of the Dean of Students (DOS), the Office of Faculty Excellence and the University Writing Center.
Thorn said as April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the HOiST session was a proper opportunity to share resources and knowledge on the subject.