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April is Sexual Assault Consciousness Month, and Washington State College Pullman is recognizing the month with a sequence of occasions designed to lift consciousness of sexual violence.
In line with a 2019 survey of almost 182,000 college students from the Affiliation of American Universities (AAU), 13% of scholars have skilled nonconsensual sexual contact, with larger charges for women-identifying college students and trans and gender nonconforming/non-binary college students (25.9% and 22.8%, respectively). A 2021 paper on the influence of sexual assault on educational outcomes discovered that college students who expertise sexual assault usually tend to drop out of college, have decrease GPAs, and expertise psychological well being challenges.
The research additionally discovered that prevention applications, schooling, and consciousness occasions like Sexual Assault Consciousness Month (SAAM) may also help lower charges of sexual violence on campus by instructing neighborhood members in regards to the influence of sexual assault, the position everybody performs in stopping it, and higher help survivors.
“Sexual Assault Consciousness Month raises consciousness so individuals can find out about how they will help survivors in their very own neighborhood and the way they will contribute to an even bigger social and cultural change to cease violence from taking place,” stated Taylor Ellsworth, a well being schooling specialist with Well being Promotion.
Education and activism
This 12 months’s SAAM occasions are being coordinated by Well being Promotion, the Ladies*s Heart, CAMP, and different companions round campus. They kicked off March 22 with the Bandana Project, organized at WSU by the School Help Migrant Program (CAMP) in collaboration with MEChA and The Crimson Group. The challenge asks individuals to embellish white bandanas with artwork and phrases of encouragement for girls farmworkers who’ve skilled sexual assault. The embellished bandanas will probably be displayed within the CUB all through the month of April.
“Many ladies who’re harassed don’t say something as a result of they’re afraid to get in hassle with immigration or lose their jobs,” stated Maritay Mendoza-Quiroz, CAMP coordinator. “With this challenge, we needed to point out help to girls within the fields who’re being harassed, to create consciousness and present that neighborhood that we’re right here for them.”
Different occasions in the course of the month that may happen are a useful resource honest April 4 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Terrell Mall, intercourse and consent workshops on April 7, Take Back the Night on April 14, and Denim Day on April 27.
School and employees are invited to become involved in a number of of the occasions, together with a free public screening of The Searching Floor, a 2015 documentary about sexual assault on school campuses, and academic workshops from Well being Promotion. The Count on Cougs Bystander Intervention workshop on April 22 will educate contributors to acknowledge warning indicators of gender-based violence and methods to take motion, and the Supporting Survivors workshop on April 29 will assist contributors perceive how they will help college students and colleagues who’re survivors of sexual violence.
For an entire listing of occasions, go to the SAAM webpage.
‘All of us have a job’
Research shows that schooling and prevention applications like these provided throughout SAAM can change attitudes about sexual assault and increase college students’ perception within the significance of intervention. Giving individuals instruments they will use to forestall sexual violence and help survivors all year long is essential to empowering college students, college, and employees to create cultural change on campus.
“All of us have a job in stopping sexual violence, and figuring out that we’re all chargeable for stopping this downside may also help us make actionable modifications in our areas,” Ellsworth stated.
A few of these actionable modifications embrace getting educated about violence prevention and survivor help, displaying assets in outstanding areas to make them extra accessible, and, for college and employees, reviewing their reporting requirements and making certain they know what, when, and report incidents of sexual assault.
In the end, Ellsworth stated, the aim is to empower individuals to “maintain their neighborhood accountable for problematic behaviors and be advocates for survivors in their very own circles.”
For extra data on SAAM and assets, go to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
For those who or somebody you already know has skilled sexual assault and want help, please contact Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse. You may also go to the Civil Rights and Compliance website for data on advocacy, help, and reporting.
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