April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Sexual assault awareness month is observed every year in April. The purpose of this annual campaign is to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educating the masses about the prevention of sexual violence. Sexual Assault can occur anywhere and to anyone, irrespective of someone’s gender, religion, or race. It happens to girls, and it happens to boys. Sexual assault can happen in online spaces and in academic institutions. It can occur in workspaces and it can occur in public spaces.
Sexual Assault - Statistics
➢ According to the Rape Crises organization, approximately 85,000 females and 12,000 males between the age groups of 16 to 59 have experienced some sort of sexual violence or rape in Wales and England every year.
➢ Only 15% of sexual assault victims report their cases to the police whereas approximately 90% of rape case survivors know the perpetrator beforehand.
➢ According to NSPCC, 2011, 31% of young women between the age group of 18 to 24 have reported facing some sort of sexual abuse experienced in their childhood.
➢ According to World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women globally experience some sort of violence throughout their lifetime and amongst those women, young aged individuals are at a higher risk of being physically and verbally abused, and this has remained highly unchanged for the past decade.
➢ A report by NCDSV showed that nearly 1 in 4 females may experience sexual assault by one of their intimate partners throughout their lifetime whereas one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused by the time they turn 18.
➢ According to the National Victim Center’s study, 1,3 women above the age of eighteen were forcibly raped each minute.
➢ According to 2018 data compiled by NCVS, an estimated number of individuals sexually assaulted in the United States are 734,630.
How Can You Observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month
If you are passionate about spreading awareness against sexual assault, then there are numerous ways you can contribute to helping spread the word and education regarding the eradication of sexual assault in all shapes and forms.
1. Post a Tweet
Posting a tweet does more benefit than you know. It shows your support to the sexual assault victim and gives them the encouragement that they are not alone in whatever unforeseen situation they might be facing. By posting a tweet, you show solidarity for the survivors of horrendous sexual assault experiences.
2. Write a Blog Post or an Article
If you are a writer, or if you possess good writing skills, then you may put those writing skills to use and curate an article in support of sexual assault survivors. You can either publish that article on your personal website, if you have one, or you may publish it on your university’s college paper. You may also pitch that article on any minor or major publication in the month of April since it will also be a timely article and the press would prefer to publish it as well during the sexual assault awareness month.
3. Deliver a Speech
If you are a college student or still an ongoing school individual, one of the things you could do to spread awareness against sexual assault is delivering a speech. If your academic institution allows it, you may speak with the school counselor or the events manager to arrange a small seminar or workshop to observe and commemorate sexual assault awareness month.
4. Get Involved
One of the best ways to observe sexual assault awareness month is by getting involved. There are numerous ways in which one can get involved and it is either by community work or through fundraising for non-profit organizations that are working towards helping the women of minority communities. Throughout the month of April, either during weekends or weekdays, you may spend a few hours in your local non-profit organization volunteering for women-led causes and events.
Why Is Sexual Assault Awareness Month So Important?
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is important because it highlights a very sensitive issue that has been prevalent in our society for the past few decades. Women and men of all ages, cultures, and religions face sexual assault at the hands of strangers, lovers, partners, family members, friends, peers, and co-workers.
As journalists, it is our responsibility to highlight this issue in the media. Since media is such a widely consumed medium, we must make the most positive use of internet platforms and speak up against these unprecedented issues. Sexual assault can be prevented, but only if the Government is willing to take strict action against the rapists and impose strict punishment against the perpetrators. Specific programs can also be arranged in schools that teach boys how not to violate women in any way, whether it is sexually, physically, or verbally.