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 22nd 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.
Sexual assault is a type of interpersonal violence that someone can experience at any point in the life course – as a child, adolescent, young adult, adult, or as an elder. Definitions to be aware of include:
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- Sexual Assault:
- Rape: penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the presence of active, willing & ongoing consent.
- Fondling: intentionally touching the private body parts of another person without consent. This may occur over or underneath clothing. It includes coercing someone to touch another person or themselves.
- Incest: any sexual contact that occurs between individuals related to each other within the degrees where marriage is prohibited by law.
- Sexual Assault:
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- Statutory Rape: intentionally or knowingly causing sexual penetration of a child (person younger than 17 years old)
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- Sexual Exploitation: Taking non-consensual or abusive sexual advantage of another for one’s own advantage or benefit, or to benefit or advantage anyone other than the one being exploited.
Sexual assault often occurs alongside stalking and dating & domestic violence. It is an escalation of physical abuse that may include warning signs of emotional & economic abuse, verbal abuse, and behaviors that are intended to intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, and isolate someone.
While this topic is obviously difficult to talk about & acknowledge, it is clearly important to understand that it affects undergraduate and graduate/professional students on our campus and others within our communities. While our Texas A&M University campus and surrounding community are safe places to learn, work, and live, Aggies are still impacted by power-based personal violence. In the most recent Association of American Universities Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct (2019), we know the following from students at Texas A&M who participated:
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- 30% of women, 8% of men, and 32% of transgender, genderqueer, and nonconforming (TGQN) individuals were sexually assaulted (N=3,140: includes undergraduate & graduate/professional students).
This underscores the importance of why college campuses remain at the forefront of providing prevention education and supporting students in identifying the appropriate resources that support their safety & healing.
The theme for Health Promotion’s 2023 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.
If you or someone you know is being impacted by sexual violence (including dating or domestic abuse, stalking, exploitation, or harassment) we encourage you to contact the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC) at 979-731-1000 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673. These lines are confidential and available 24/7. April is also recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Scotty's House is our local agency that provides support to minors affected by any type of abuse, including sexual violence.
Additional Resources:
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center. This is the only medical center in Brazos Valley that currently has 24/7 on call forensic nurses. Survivors who are seeking medical care and may want to pursue a forensic exam are encouraged to go here, to minimize retraumatization. The Sexual Assault Resource Center dispatches a state-certified advocate to provide trauma-informed support during the hospital intake and medical processes.
- Texas A&M Student Health Services. Provides medical care, mental health care, medication & pharmacy services, emergency contraception, PrEP and PEP, and longer-term post-care following a forensic exam at Baylor Scott & White.
- Twin City Mission Domestic Violence Services. Contact for safety planning around relationship violence & abuse, emergency & long-term housing options, counseling, case management, and/or legal advocacy.
- Unbound Bryan College-Station. Contact for support with any suspected or known human trafficking in Brazos Valley.
- Texas A&M Counseling & Psychological Services. Texas A&M students: contact for more information on individualized counseling and support groups for survivors.
These agencies work together with the Sexual Assault Resource Center, Scotty's House, and other state & national organizations, to provide protections to anyone who has experienced or witnessed violence & abuse.
Sources:
Association of American Universities, Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct (2019). Texas A&M University Report.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Violence Prevention.
Texas A&M University, Department of Civil Rights and Equity Investigations (2022). Glossary of Terms.
2023 SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION & AWARENESS MONTH EVENTS
Paint It Teal
The Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC) is honoring the start of Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month with their Paint It Teal 2023 initiative. Groups of 2-3 volunteers will work together by asking business owners to hang SARC flyers. SARC will provide training, practice, and all the information needed before sending groups out to their assigned spaces in the community. Volunteers will also receive a prize for helping build fellowship, educate others, and spread awareness of services.
Date and Time: Saturday, April 1, 9:30-10:30am or 11:30am-12:30pm
Location: Sexual Assault Resource Center
Address: 400 Jane St. Suite 100, College Station, TX
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC)
Volunteer Sign-up: tx.ag/PaintItTeal
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.
LibGuide: tx.ag/BooksThatSpeakOut
Physical Display - Business Library & Collaboration Commons (West Campus Library): April 1-30.
Physical Display - Evans Library: April 3-30.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored by: Texas A&M Health Promotion and Texas A&M University Libraries
SLIDE's 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.
Dates and Times: April 2-8, various locations around campus & the community
Events:
- Sunday, April 2:
- Instagram Takeover on @tamu
- Monday, April 3:
- Rudder Plaza resource tabling, stickers/bannering, and tote bag fundraiser
- Fuzzy's Taco Shop trivia night and profit share, benefitting the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley, 6:00-9:00pm
- Tuesday, April 4:
- Rudder Plaza resource tabling, stickers/bannering, and tote bag fundraiser
- Wednesday, April 5:
- Rudder Plaza resource tabling, stickers/bannering, and tote bag fundraiser
- Take Back The Night, Aggie Park, 6:00-8:30pm
- Thursday, April 6:
- Rudder Plaza resource tabling, stickers/bannering, and tote bag fundraiser
- Northgate bake sale, benefitting the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley, 10:00pm-2:00am
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Sophomore Leaders Impacting, Developing and Educating (SLIDE)
STAND Up Trauma-Informed Care: Virtual Overview for Students
The STAND Up Virtual Overview, which is administered as a part of our larger STAND Up Trauma-Informed Care initiative on campus, is intended to provide general information about the impacts of trauma related to experiencing power-based personal violence, and basic knowledge of trauma-informed response & relevant resources.
Date and Time: Monday, April 3, 7:00-8:00pm
Location: Zoom (Virtual Instruction)
Audience: Texas A&M Students
Sponsored By: Texas A&M Health Promotion
Registration Required: tx.ag/StandUpWorkshop
MaroonBase Eligible Event: 100 points
Community Conversations: Teal Tuesday: Ways to Support Sexual Violence Prevention
Join us for a conversation with Lindsey LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC), as we provide context for how April was designated as Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month and what those efforts have built to today. During the live chat we will discuss what advocates are focusing on, current needs with prevention education and inclusive & accessible resources. Our conversation will speak to national, state and local trends SARC has identified and how they are affecting Aggieland. Texas A&M has maintained a strong connection with SARC for years and together, and we endeavor to be transparent with how we are supporting survivors, especially with increased reports of sexual assault in our community, and forward-thinking in how we advance a coordinated response to this issue.
Date and Time: Monday, April 3 from 6:30-7:00pm
Location: Instagram Live @TamuHealthPromotion
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored by: Texas A&M Health Promotion & the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC)
Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley: Professional Development Workshop
The Sexual Assault Resource Center is in its 40th year of providing outreach & advocacy services for survivors of sexual violence, and has been expanding their scope & reach of services. This workshop will provide space for faculty & professional staff to learn about the ways SARC supports survivors, collaborates with our campus, and reaches our other local communities. Participants will learn about different types of sexual violence and how to respond using trauma-informed techniques; the connections SARC maintains with medical, legal, and advocacy organizations as well as our campus, to support survivors with wraparound services; how SARC helps to steward prevention education on campus; and ways to become involved in their work.
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 4 from 9:00-10:30am
Location: Student Services Building (SSB) 308
Audience: Faculty, staff, graduate/professional & undergraduate students serving in advisory or supervisory positions
Sponsored by: Texas A&M Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley
Registration Required: tx.ag/SARCTraining
Sexual Assault Awareness Month National Day of Action
The Sexual Assault Awareness Month National Day of Action (also known as Teal Tuesday) aims to stop sexual violence through education on consent, boundaries, and creating systemic change. Individuals are encouraged to wear teal, the designated awareness color, to show their support for sexual assault prevention, education, and policy that support survivors & resources. Share a photo on social media with a message of why you care about prevention. Use #SAAM and #SAPAM23 and tag @tamuhealthpromotion and @SARCBV on Instagram.
Date: Tuesday, April 4
Location: All day social media campaign. Resource table in Rudder Plaza from 10:00am-4:00pm, in collaboration with Sophomore Leaders Impacting, Developing and Educating (SLIDE) as they recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Week.
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Texas A&M Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC)
Community Conversations: Masculinity and Sexual Violence
Join us for a conversation with Jon Hill, Health Promotion Specialist in Student Life, that looks at where we are in understanding healthy manhood, how traditional or toxic ideas of masculinity play a significant role in sexual violence, and what can be done, and is being done at our local and state levels, to learn and grow in this topic area while also engaging more men in the movement to end sexual violence. Conversations about healthy manhood have been more popular than ever recently but with various opinions on what this concept really means & how it presents, it can be challenging to identify the differences between evidence-informed content, which supports healthy discussion & reflection, from misinformation that oftentimes relies on harmful language & assumptions to undermine these discussions. When we think about the concept of masculinity and its connection to sexual violence, there are two parts that we want to balance: (1) masculinity creates unique barriers to male-identified survivors who are seeking support; (2) masculinity, when practiced in a unhealthy or toxic way, leads to thought processes and behaviors that support the perpetration of sexual violence.
Date and Time: Monday, April 10 from 6:30-7:00pm
Location: Instagram Live @TamuHealthPromotion
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored by: Texas A&M Health Promotion
Unbound Now BCS: Night of Hope
Night of Hope is a powerful event that will celebrate the courageous victories of the survivors Unbound Now BCS serves, and casts vision for Unbound Now’s work in the coming year.
Date: Tuesday, April 11 from 6:00-9:00pm
Location: The Weinberg at Wixon Valley
Audience: Everyone. This is a fundraising, awareness & prevention event that directly supports UnBound Now BCS. Should you be interested in a sponsorship or simply want to donate an amount of your choosing to their organization, you may do so here.
Sponsored By: Unbound Now BCS
Sunrise Boxing with Living Well and Rec Sports
Challenge your routine with a boxing class offered by Living Well and RecSports in solidarity of Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month (SAPAM).
Join our nationally certified group fitness instructors in an authentic boxing class! This class includes the basics of circuit training, shadow boxing, mitt work and full-body conditioning exercises. Build your strength and cardiovascular endurance in this progressive program suited for all fitness levels.
Dates and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays from April 11 – April 20, 6:15-7:15am
Location: Student Recreation Center, Heavy Bag Room; enter the south entrance near Olsen Field
Address: 797 Olsen Blvd, College Station, TX 77843
Audience: Everyone
Faculty & Staff: register here
Students: register here
Sponsored by: Living Well and Rec Sports
Healing With Friends: Trauma-Informed Yoga with Rec Sports
Health Promotion and Rec Sports have partnered on this event since 2019, to recognize the importance of physical wellness, emotional wellness, and resilience as a part of violence prevention education. This event features a one-hour trauma-informed yoga class, self-care strategies, and information about campus & community resources. Participants may choose to attend in person at the Rec Center or through Zoom, and privacy will be protected in both formats. It is a space that welcomes survivors of abuse, their friends, allies, and anyone who wants to simply learn more, connect, and be involved. This event is free and open to anyone (A&M and the community), regardless of yoga skill level.
Date and Time: Wednesday, April 12, 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Rec Center (REC) 2229 and Zoom
Address: 187 Corrington Dr, College Station, TX 77843
Parking: Visitor parking or any valid A&M parking permit after 5pm (West Campus Garage, Lots 100A-J)
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored by: Texas A&M Rec Sports and Texas A&M Health Promotion
Registration Required: tx.ag/HealingWithFriends
MaroonBase Eligible Event: 100 points
Green Dot Bystander Intervention: Virtual Overview for Students
The Green Dot Overview, which is administered as a part of our larger Green Dot Bystander Intervention program on campus, is intended to provide basic knowledge and strategies for how to safely & effectively intervene when witnessing an act of power-based personal violence. Participants will identify warning signs of sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking; become more self-aware of barriers that prevent them from taking action; explore intervention strategies that are realistic for them in different contexts; identify pro-social behaviors to use in every day practice that establish norms that are intolerant of violence.
Date and Time: Thursday, April 13, 7:00-8:30pm
Location: Zoom (Virtual Instruction)
Audience: Texas A&M Students
Sponsored By: Texas A&M Health Promotion
Registration Required: tx.ag/GreenDotWorkshop
MaroonBase Eligible Event: 100 points
Trauma-Informed Yoga on the Green
The Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley has partnered with Rec Sports to host a community-based, trauma-informed yoga course. This event recognizes the importance of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellness as a part of healing from sexual violence or any other types of trauma. The event will feature a one-hour yoga course led by a certified trauma-informed yoga instructor, self-care strategies, and connection with the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley to learn more about their advocacy & prevention services. This is a space that welcomes survivors or abuse, their friends, allies, and anyone who wants to learn more & get involved. The event is free and open to anyone, regardless of yoga skill level. There will also be giveaways from Lulu Lemon, which has graciously donated items to this event and cause.
Date and Time: Saturday, April 22, 8:00-9:30am
Location: Century Square, Green Space
Address: 175 Century Square Dr, College Station, TX 77840
Parking: Free parking in the Century Square parking garage
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored by: The Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley and Texas A&M Rec Sports
Community Conversations: Denim Day & Consent
Join us for a conversation with Kayla Duncan, Director of Communications & Outreach with the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC), about the way denim came to signify an international movement to support survivors and educate our communities about sexual violence prevention. Within this discussion, we will specifically focus on consent: a topic that many take for granted as common sense, but far too often underestimate the boundaries, communication, and emotional maturity that come with practicing this in a healthy way. Time will be spent not only defining consent, but also providing strategies on how to actively & assertively practice consent within romantic, platonic, or intimate relationships. Kayla will also share ways that viewers can observe Denim Day and become involved in the work SARC, or other local organizations of a similar mission, do year-round.
Date and Time: Monday, April 24 from 6:30-7:00pm
Location: Instagram Live @TamuHealthPromotion
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored by: Texas A&M Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley (SARC)
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.
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 25, 6:00-8:30pm
Location: Aggie Park
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Texas A&M Health Promotion, Feminism 4 Aggies, and Sophomores Leading, Impacting, Developing and Educating (SLIDE)
Schedule of Events and Organizations Present: tx.ag/TakeBackTheNight
MaroonBase Eligible Event: Up to 250 points
Denim Day
Denim Day is the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history. Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses, and students to make a social statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence. Share a photo on social media and tell us why you observe Denim Day. Use #DenimDay, #SAAM, and #SAPAM23 and tag @tamuhealthpromotion and @SARCBV on Instagram. Learn more at DenimDayInfo.org.
Date: Wednesday, April 26
Location: All day social media campaign and Rudder Plaza resource table from 11:30am-1:00pm
Audience: Everyone
Sponsored By: Texas A&M Health Promotion and the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley
Shatter: A Survivor Fashion Show
What were you wearing? In fashion, this question celebrates creativity, identity, and status. For survivors of sexual assault, this question blames them for the violence that happened to them. The Sexual Assault Resource Center is honored to stand with survivors on April 29, 2023 as we shatter the silence and break the stigma at our Shatter: A Survivor Fashion Show. This show will bring light to survivors' rights and awareness to the shame and stigma that survivors often feel in the aftermath of their trauma. Together, we can stand to reclaim our power and shatter the silence.
Date: Saturday, April 29, 5:30-7:00pm
Location: THE SHIRLEY & JOE SWINBANK '74 Agrilife Center
Address: 556 John Kimbrough Blvd, College Station, TX 77843
Audience: Everyone. This is a ticketed event with proceeds going back to the Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley. Purchase individual and package tickets here
Sponsored By: The Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley