TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
SKIP TO: EVENT DETAILS | SUPPORT TAKE BACK THE NIGHT | SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION & AWARENESS MONTH
Take Back the Night is being hosted as a part of Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month at Texas A&M University, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from 6-8:30 p.m. in Aggie Park on the War Hymn Field. The mission of the international Take Back the Night Foundation is to create safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives, with the goal of ending all forms of sexual violence. We will honor this initiative by building awareness, providing prevention education and intervention-based resources, allowing a space for connection and community building, and active fundraising for our local response agencies that assist survivors of sexual violence, dating & domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking: the Different Day Foundation, the Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) of Brazos Valley, Scotty’s House, Twin City Mission Domestic Violence Services and UnBound Bryan-College Station.
This is an open event that anyone may attend for the entire time or part of the time. We encourage students, professional staff and faculty, and community members to participate, show their commitment to the cause, and support the message that our Aggie community values prevention education and the work our local response agencies do to help survivors in our community.
Event Schedule
| Time | Activity |
| 6:00 p.m. | Event begins in Aggie Park (War Hymn Lawn) |
| 6:00-6:20 p.m. | Welcome, opening statements, event overview, and community speakers |
| 6:20-7:20 p.m. | Resource tables, hosted by our local response agencies, student organizations and campus departments |
| 7:00-7:25 p.m. | Keynote speaker + candlelight moment of empowerment |
| 7:25-7:45 p.m. | Awareness Walk through Aggie Park |
| 7:45-8 p.m. | Femmatas choral performance |
| 8:00-8:20 p.m. | Survivor, advocate and ally speak out |
| 8:20-8:30 p.m. | Closing statement and fundraising reminders |
| 8:30 p.m. | Event concludes |
Event Hosts & Sponsors
Take Back the Night 2023 is being co-hosted by Health Promotion and the recognized student organization Feminism4Aggies.
The student organization Sophomore Leaders Impacting, Developing and Educating (SLIDE) is a co-sponsor of this event, who is recognizing Take Back the Night as one of their events for their Sexual Assault Awareness Week (SAAW), which will be held on and around campus.
| Community Organization | Mission |
| Different Day Foundation | Different Day is a beacon of hope for women survivors seeking recovery and healing from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. Through their unwavering commitment, they provide not just a place to live, but a meaningful job and a sisterhood of support that lasts a lifetime. |
| Scotty's House | Provides safety, healing, and justice for children victimized by abuse through professional assessment, counseling, and education in a compassionate and collaborative approach. |
| Sexual Assault Resource Center of Brazos Valley | Supports survivors of sexual violence through advocacy, counseling, and crisis intervention and work to end sexual violence in the Brazos Valley. |
| Twin City Mission Domestic Violence Services | Provides services to victims of domestic violence and dating violence in all seven counties of the Brazos Valley. Services are provided at no cost and include shelter, counseling, case management, legal advocacy, safety planning, and career assistance. |
| Unbound Now BCS | Activates local communities to fight human trafficking through prevention and awareness, professional training and survivor advocacy. |
| Campus Department | Mission |
| Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing | Improves the health outcomes of those affected by violence and disaster. The center leads the nation in developing and implementing interdisciplinary, trauma-informed strategies to prevent and address violence across the lifespan through research, academic programs, continuing education and outreach. |
| Civil Rights and Equity Investigations | The Department of Civil Rights and Equity Investigations (CREI) is charged with the investigation and resolution of alleged violations of Texas A&M University’s civil rights policies, including Title IX. |
| Health Promotion | Empowers Aggies to embrace a culture of holistic wellbeing that supports their academic, personal, and professional success. Services encompass a wide variety of topics including: fitness and nutrition; alcohol and/or other drugs; stress relief; time management; sexual health; and interpersonal violence prevention. |
| Recreational Sports | Promotes activity, wellness, and development by providing high quality, inclusive experiences and facilities for the students and community of Texas A&M University. Provides trauma-informed and harm-reduction courses during national prevention & awareness months. |
| Residence Life | From their live-in staff to our central office, Residence Life takes great pride in their work and are committed to the safety and success of residents. Their mission is to provide a welcoming, educational, and sustainable community living at the heart of the Aggie experience while offering a world-class transformational living and learning experience for on-campus residents. |
| Step In Stand Up | At Texas A&M University, we stand together against sexual and dating violence, and sexual harassment. Our core values guide us in all we do, and that includes ensuring our campus is safe for everyone. It's up to us to do what Aggies do: Serve. Step In Stand Up is a great reminder that as active bystanders, we can Step In to prevent acts of violence and harassment, and we can Stand Up for survivors. |
| Student Life | Student Life strives to enhance opportunities for students to participate fully in the university experience. They do this by providing information, services, programs and involvement opportunities that facilitate responsible life choices and promote awareness of self and community. Each of the program areas within Student Life has a specific mission, but one common goal: to provide education, outreach and support to students. |
| University Health Services | Empowering students to succeed by supporting their mental and physical health. Mental Health Services: University Health Services subscribes to a short-term, goal-oriented public health model, which incorporates a variety of resources and support mechanisms to tailor mental health treatment to each student on a case-by-case basis, maintaining flexibility to prescribe amounts and frequencies of sessions based on student needs and according to provider expertise and availability. Services include, but are not limited to, individual counseling, group counseling, crisis counseling, and workshops. |
| University Police Department: Victim Advocate | The Victim Services program aims to assist students, faculty and staff, and visitors to A&M, with the traumatizing consequences of being a victim of a crime. |
| Student Organization | Mission |
| Aggie Elevate | Peer education program dedicated to enhancing the overall health, balance, and success of the student body. Peer educators serve to support Health Promotion staff in educational programming and outreach activities. |
| Aggies Fostering Hope | Aggies Fostering Hope aims to promote awareness of the link between domestic violence and pet abuse. They address this by educating veterinary professionals and community members while assisting women fleeing domestic violence by providing temporary housing and basic medical care for their pets. |
| Aggie Mental Health Ambassadors | To change the culture around mental health at Texas A&M. They aim to do so by increasing awareness of available resources, providing education and training surrounding mental health, creating conversations on campus, and cultivating a positive environment for anyone wanting to learn more about mental health. |
| Feminism 4 Aggies (F4A) | Promote, develop, and empower people in all sectors of society on the Texas A&M campus and in the Bryan/College Station community. F4A is an organization that provides a forum of diversity where they do not permit discrimination on the basis of sex, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, age, socio-economic status, marital status, or disability. |
| Queer Empowerment Council | Queer Empowerment Council aims to unite the LGBTQ+ organizations on campus and work together to act as a resource for LGBTQ+ students at TAMU. By coming together, they help student organizations come together and empower the LGBTQ+ community. |
| Sophomores Leading on Promoting Equality (SLOPE) |
SLOPE intends to promote equality at Texas A&M and the surrounding community through leadership and service. They envision creating an environment in which all Aggies are equal and the leaders of tomorrow. |
| Sophomore Leaders Impacting, Developing and Educating (SLIDE) | Provides experiential learning opportunities and professional development to sophomore student leaders who plan, implement, and participate in outreach and awareness programs impacting the Texas A&M campus and community. |
| The Bush School of Government and Public Service: Women, Peace, and Security | The concentration in Women, Peace, and Security in the Department of International Affairs allows Bush School students and other interested TAMU graduate students to take courses and develop an emphasis in gender analysis as it relates to international affairs. |
Ways to Support Take Back the Night
- Host a resource table at Take Back the Night: tx.ag/TBTNResource
- Support our service providers by donating directly to them during April
- Host a profit share at your business during April, in honor of Take Back the Night. Proceeds can go to one or multiple organizations. Email: [email protected]
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.
Please see our official calendar of events for this initiative. Events and programs are hosted by Health Promotion, student organizations on campus, and community organizations throughout April. We hope that you will join us in solidarity to each other as an Aggie community and the broader communities you represent.
KNOW YOUR RESOURCES
Learn more about the resources available through Student Life, on-campus, and in the community.
KNOW YOUR RESOURCES
Learn more about the resources available through Student Life, on-campus, and in the community.