April 1, 2021
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Submitted by Jessica L Henault
April 2021 marks the official 20th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, formally declared in 2001 by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Every year higher education institutions around the nation take part in this monthlong movement to spread advocacy and prevention education on the topics of sexual assault, harassment and abuse. However, these initiatives began long before the movement's official declaration and can be traced back to the 1940s and 50s with the civil rights era, championed by Black women and women of color.
This year's theme is "Together We Can Build Safe Online Spaces." Throughout April the Center for Advocacy, Response and Education, or CARE, will host virtual training sessions, events and additional social media content centered around the themes of online abuse and trauma, online community prevention, digital consent and boundaries, and bystander intervention.
CARE is hosting three virtual advanced Safe Zone workshops:
- "Consequences of COVID-19: Sexual Violence and Gender Inequities" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 2.
- "He Said, She Said, They Said: A Dialogue on Sexual Assault Myths and Misconceptions" from 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 16.
- "Bystander Intervention: Newest Research, Avenues for Advancement, and Future Implications" from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, April 30.
In partnership with K-State Counseling Services, CARE is hosting a virtual Sexual Assault Awareness Month Discussion Panel from 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, April 27. The panel is designed to allow for students, staff and faculty to learn more about sexual assault, the reporting process, trauma and recovery, self-care, supporting a loved one, consent and bystander intervention. The panel consists of 10 campus and Manhattan community experts, leaders and change-makers.
Register for the panel and submit your questions at kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7WAEs7GAKsha1SK.
To learn more and remain updated with additional events CARE is hosting, you can follow the Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign on our social media using the hashtag #SAAM2021. Making K-State's campus safer, more equitable and accessible requires the active commitment from every Wildcat. Engaging with Sexual Assault Awareness Month is one small action step in the right direction.
CARE offers free, voluntary and confidential support services to any K-State student, staff, faculty, or administrator who experience(d) sexual, dating, or domestic violence, stalking and sexual harassment. CARE also provides free educational workshops and training sessions to classes, student organizations, and faculty departments. CARE is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. To connect with a survivor advocate or learn more about presentation opportunities, email ksucare@k-state.edu, call 785-532-6444 or visit CARE's office in 206 Holton Hall.