Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2023: Resources for the Field

For those of us working in violence prevention, April signals the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM): a time for sexual assault advocates, prevention practitioners, and communities to raise awareness about sexual violence and build skills and strategies to prevent it. 

Sexual violence is prevalent across all genders, ages, races and ethnicities and communities but, as with other forms of violence, people who are impacted by oppression (i.e. racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc.) are at even higher risk of sexual assault.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, cross-cutting strategies that prevent multiple forms of violence are the most effective way to prevent sexual violence. By advancing health equity, we are able to work toward a world without sexual violence by addressing why systemic violence happens, and creating communities where everyone is able to thrive. 

However, prevention practitioners have started to promote and educate about health equity more widely, integrating health equity and working within intersections of violence is a substantial shift. 

Below are several resources, events and campaigns happening throughout April to strengthen your efforts to center health equity in efforts to prevent sexual violence. 

National Sexual Violence Resource Center SAAM 2023 Campaign | Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity

As part of their National Campaign, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is releasing publications specifically for people newer to anti-oppression and its connection to sexual violence, to build knowledge and skill across the movement to end sexual violence, and build racial equity and respect, 

The campaign offers resources, knowledge-building tools and connection opportunities to engage people at every level in the movement to end sexual violence, and build their capacity to be agents of change. Some of the resources include:

• Glossary of Terms
• A Survivor’s Guide to Understanding Therapeutic Healing Pathways
• How to Create a Trauma-Informed Workplace Toolkit
• A Social Justice Booklist for Children, Teens and Young Adults
• Social Justice Resource Library

Learn more about the campaign and get involved here. 

ValorUS SAAM 2023 SAAM 2023 Toolkit | Equity in Action

VALOR released a media toolkit for local rape crisis centers, in honor of SAAM. They are asking preventionists, advocates and organizers what equity in action means to them and how we as a movement can embody equity in our everyday work. The toolkit has social media graphics and challenges to support local organization’s SAAM messaging. 

In April 11th, VALOR is challenging people to post SAAM graphics, or their own image on social media and caption with what Equity In Action looks like in their communities.

Download the toolkit here. 

Disability Justice and Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit

Indiana Disability Justice released a free toolkit for people interested in building their skills in practicing primary prevention with people with disabilities. The toolkit provides resources about: 

• Creating protective environments and increasing social inclusion
• Promoting healthy sexuality
• Using accessible community and organizational evaluation
• Risk and Protective factors
• Personal stories and knowledge from people with disabilities.

Sign up for a copy of the toolkit here. 

MeToo “What’s At Stake” Public Health Messaging Toolkits

As the movement to end sexual violence moves beyond awareness towards solutions that encompass survivor healing, ally disruption, and, harm reduction and prevention for everyone, MeToo International is sharing resources and actionable items to build knowledge, share best practices and share healing and prevention recommendations. Some of the resources include:

• Moving from Bystander to Advocate Toolkit
• Disclosing Resources
• Supporting Survivors Toolkit
• Supporting Survivors Before they Disclose Toolkit
• Social Media Toolkit

You can read more about their campaign and get involved here. 

PreventConnect Resources on Health Equity

Web Conference Recordings

• Health Equity Approaches to Preventing Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence: An Overview
• Health Equity Approaches to Preventing Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Session 2: Addressing Underlying Factors that Contribute to Safety and Violence
• Health Equity Approaches to Preventing Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Session 3: Partnering With Sectors and Movements
• Back to Basics, a New Health Equity Resource from CDC

Podcasts

• Health Equity Highlight Reel
• NSAC 2022: Embracing Intersectionality Part 1
• NSAC 2022: Embracing Intersectionality Part 2
• Roadmap to Primary Prevention
• DVAM 2022: No Survivor Justice without Racial Justice
• Disability Justice and Violence Prevention Part 1
• Disability Justice and Violence Prevention Part 2

Downloadable Content

Health Equity Approaches to Prevention Resources