SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION & AWARENESS MONTH
April is observed as Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month. This initiative was officially declared in 2001 by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, with the purpose of unifying state coalitions, college campuses, and community organizations in their efforts to end all forms of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Now in the 21st year of official observation, individuals and communities come together during this month to honor the grassroots activism that has led to systemic change in the way we recognize, prevent, and respond to sexual violence, while also advancing education and social change around present-day challenges related to this public health issue.
The theme for Health Promotion’s 2022 Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month is Solidarity. It pays tribute to the foundations of this movement but also serves as a call to action, especially as we find ourselves at the forefront of a unique cultural and social shift towards understanding the proliferation of sexual violence and related trauma.
Our prevention education and awareness programming this year will reflect the necessary practices called upon by national organizations, educators, public health professionals, and advocates. We will intentionally elevate voices, provide strategies for others to disrupt the social, cultural and gender norms that promote violence, share culturally-relevant and inclusive resources, and normalize trauma-informed conversations about sexual violence. We hope that you will join us in solidarity to each other as an Aggie community and the broader communities you represent.
2022 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION & AWARENESS MONTH EVENTS
Books That Speak Out
Health Promotion has partnered with the University Libraries to host Books That Speak Out virtual and physical resource displays for the prevention education of sexual violence. These displays include a variety of books, journals, documentaries, podcasts, national organizations and movements, confidential resources, and ways to identify and respond to this issue.
Location: Business Library & Collaboration Commons and online at tx.ag/BooksThatSpeakOut
Date/Time: April 1-30
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Health Promotion, University Libraries
Diversity & Dessert: Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month
Diversity & Dessert is an opportunity for cultural education and appreciation. In observance of Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month, the committee has invited Health Promotion to facilitate dialogue around sexual violence prevention and how to support students. This session will include a myth/fact exercise and a panel of students & staff representing Health Promotion, the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley, Title IX, and the Texas A&M student organization SLIDE.
Location: Zoom
Date/Time: April 1, 12 - 1 p.m.
Audience: Professional Staff, Student Services
Sponsored By: Texas A&M Student Life Diversity Committee
The Coming Out Monologues
This annual storytelling event features a unique collection and representation of experiences and coming out stories authored and performed by people in our community who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community or as straight or cisgender allies. It is a raw, inspiring, transformative, and intimate live event.
Location: Rudder Theater
Date/Time: April 1, 6:30 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: LGBTQ+ Pride Center
SLIDE Sexual Assault Awareness Week
A week-long program to spread awareness and prevent sexual violence on our campus and in our community. Throughout the week, there will be profit shares, a virtual fundraiser, and a donation drive to help support the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC). Follow @tamuslide on Instagram for a full list of events during the week.
Date/Time: April 4-8
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Sophomore Leaders Impacting, Developing, and Educating (SLIDE)
Sexual Assault Awareness Month National Day of Action
The Sexual Assault Awareness Month National Day of Action aims to stop sexual violence through education on consent, boundaries, and creating systemic change. Wear teal, the designated awareness color, on April 5 to show your support for Sexual Assault Prevention; share with us too by snapping a photo and posting to social media, with a message of why you care about prevention. Use the hashtags #SAAM, #SAPAMTAMU, #WYTAMU, and tag @tamuhealthpromotion and @SARCBV on Instagram!
Location: Social Media and Rudder Plaza
Date/Time: April 5, all day on social media, Rudder Plaza resource table from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley
Torchy’s Profit Share
Grab some tacos and support a great cause. From 5-9pm Torchy’s Tacos will be sharing their profit with SLIDE to benefit the Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley.
Location: Torchy's Tacos
Date/Time: April 5, 5 - 9 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Sophomore Leaders Impacting, Developing, and Educating (SLIDE)
Community Conversation: The Identity of Sexual Violence
Join Health Promotion for an intersectional discussion with experts from the Texas A&M LGBTQ+ Pride Center and Education Abroad, that recognizes how individual identity, personal history, cultural values, and systemic policies impact how we understand and process experiences of sexual violence.
Location: Live on Instagram with @tamuhealthpromotion
Date/Time: April 5, 6:30 - 7 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Health Promotion, LGBTQ+ Pride Center, Education Abroad
Take Back The Night
The International Take Back The Night Foundation creates safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives, with the goal of ending all forms of sexual violence. Join us for a night of awareness, resources, community connection, and fundraising for our local survivor support agencies: the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley, Twin City Mission Domestic Violence Services, UnBound BCS, and Scotty’s House.
Location: Rudder Plaza
Date/Time: April 7, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Event Schedule & Donation Site: tx.ag/TakeBackTheNight
Sponsored By: Health Promotion, Feminism 4 Aggies, SLIDE
Community Conversation: Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Health Promotion will be joined by Scotty’s House to build our understanding of the short & long-term concerns that survivors may face, the recovery process, and how to respond to a survivor’s disclosure as a partner, friend, family member, or other supportive person in their lives.
Location: Live on Instagram with @tamuhealthpromotion
Date/Time: April 12, 6:30 - 7 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Health Promotion, Scotty's House
Blaze Pizza Profit Share
Grab some pizza and support a great cause. All day long, Blaze Pizza will be sharing their profit with the Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley.
Location: Blaze Pizza
Date/Time: April 13, all day
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley
Community Based Care & Support: Sexual Violence Prevention Training for Educators
Health Promotion is hosting a professional development opportunity for faculty & staff at Texas A&M: Community Based Care & Support. This one-hour training by the Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley will teach educators how trauma impacts survivors, how supporters can develop coping & intervention skills, and provide context for the work SARC does to support survivors in their healing. This will be offered in person, with a pre-registration process for participants.
Location: SSB 308
Date/Time: April 14, 10 - 11 a.m.
Audience: Professional Staff, Faculty, Student Assistants and Organization Leaders
Registration: Required at tx.ag/CommunityBasedCare
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley and Health Promotion
Feminism 4 Aggies & AAUW: What Were You Wearing Display
What Were You Wearing? is an art exhibit based on survivor descriptions of the clothes they were wearing during their sexual assault. It offers a challenge to victim-blaming narratives and clearly shows that violence can happen to anyone regardless of what they were doing, who they were with and what they were wearing.
Location: Rudder Plaza
Date/Time: April 18 - 22
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: American Association of University Women (AAUW) & Feminism 4 Aggies
Teal Talk Tuesday
Join SARC live on Instagram to learn more about sexual violence and how it impacts our Spanish speaking communities.
Location: Live on Instagram with @sarcbv
Date/Time: April 19, 2 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley
Community Conversations: Supporting a Partner’s Healing from Sexual Trauma
Health Promotion will be joined by the Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley for an empowering conversation on how someone can practice trauma-informed support when their partner identifies as a survivor of sexual violence, and effectively help them with processing & healing from that trauma.
Location: Live on Instagram with @tamuhealthpromotion
Date/Time: April 19, 6:30 - 7 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley
Radical Expression Workshop
This workshop is structured to critically explore how gender identity and expression impact our self-perception as well as what we believe our relationships with others should look like. We will break down our perceptions of both toxic and positive masculinity and femininity and how they impact the way we communicate with one another. Additionally, we will connect how these ideas can impact unhealthy and abusive relationship dynamics, while providing strategies for combatting the negative behaviors discussed.
Location: SSB 208
Date/Time: April 20, 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Registration: Required at tx.ag/RadicalExpression
Sponsored By: Health Promotion
Grub Profit Share
Grab some food and support a great cause. All day long Grub Burger Bar will be sharing their profit with Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley.
Location: Grub Burger Bar
Date/Time: April 22, all day
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley
Denim Day
Wear denim on April 27 to show your support for sexual violence awareness and prevention. Share a photo on social media and tell us why you observe Denim Day. Use the hashtags #TAMUDenimDay and #SAPAMTAMU and tag @tamuhealthpromotion and @SARCBV on Instagram! Denim Day is the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history. Learn more at DenimDayInfo.org.
Location: Social Media and Rudder Plaza
Date/Time: April 27, all day on social media, Rudder Plaza resource table from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley
Sexual Assault Awareness Month Facebook Live Panel
Join SARC and community members for a discussion of Advocacy Beyond April, as we wrap up Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Location: Live on Facebook with @sarcbv
Date/Time: April 28, 6 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley
Healing With Friends
Health Promotion has partnered with Rec Sports to create a space for confidential conversation, healing, and resources for victim-survivors, their friends, and allies. This event will feature a trauma-informed yoga class, self-care strategies, and guidance from professionals who regularly work with victim-survivors. This is a Title IX exempt event, meaning anyone can disclose their experience and not be required to report it to the university. Participants can choose to attend in person or through Zoom, and privacy will be protected in both formats. Registration is required.
Location: 187 Rec Sports 2229 and Zoom
Date/Time: April 28, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Audience: Everyone
Registration: Required at tx.ag/HealingWithFriends
Parking: Visitor parking or any valid A&M parking permit after 5pm (West Campus Garage, Lots 100A-J)
Sponsored By: Health Promotion and Rec Sports