Sexual Violence : What needs to be done!

keyword: Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault, Actions.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is observed annually in April, includes several events, including Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

What kind of person comes to mind when we consider people who are most susceptible to abuse? Women and girls experience a considerably higher percentage of abuse than boys and men do, so you are correct if you assumed that. However, other groups are also more likely to experience sexual assault, including the elderly, LGBTQ+ people, those with disabilities, and those who have experienced traumatic brain damage.

We must keep in mind, however, that sexual violence prevention does not begin or finish on some specific places as engaged members of society. Even if you have not personally experienced sexual assault, you probably know someone who has. We need to broaden our reach to include marginalized groups of people instead of focusing only on the identities we are familiar with and can relate to. We can also use our platform to speak up for those who are most at risk. How can we go about this?

Here are some recommended starting points:

1. Pay attention and accept others' experiences without passing judgment. 

2. Use social media to distribute resources. 

3. When you come across inaccurate information regarding sexual assault or material that supports stereotypes, speak up.

4. Join Interact or RAINN as a volunteer.

5. If someone tells you they've been the victim of sexual assault, heed these RAINN recommendations. 

6. Perform your own research whenever you can. It can be taxing for survivors to carry the responsibility of educating others.

You can checkout the webpage of RAINN or Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network here: https://www.rainn.org/

Schedule of Activities

April 22, 2023

The Seek and Speak: A Sexual Violence Advocacy, sponsored by the Basic Education Department Senior High School, will kick off the week. The project will begin at morning in some parts of Cauayan. Its goal is to empower survivors while educating communities about the incidence of sexual violence. Participants can personalize a t-shirt with messages intended to eradicate the taboo surrounding sexual assault.

April 23, 2023

At 11 a.m. the next day will get started. with the same sponsor in the FL DY Coliseum. Participants can discuss the value of ongoing consent while painting a consent rock. A Consent Awareness Party will be held by SAS that evening from 7 to 10 p.m. Attendees can engage in a night of trivia to win their specially-designed consent t-shirts and pint glasses as part of its most recent, ground-breaking bar outreach program. There will be food and music to round off the evening.

April 24, 2023

The participants will participate in a campus-wide celebration of Denim Day at the halfway point of the week. Wear your jeans and show your support for survivors by using the hashtag #IWearDenimBecause. From 4-6 p.m., another event will take place. Swank Park, with the University of Perpetual help System Laguna - Isabela Campus serving as a location.

April 25, 2023

The major event,"Seek and Speak", will start at 7 p.m. on the Multi-Purpose Hall of UPHS. Participants will be led by SAS as they take a stand against sexual assault and provide survivors the tools they need to feel safe, heard, and supported in their communities.

April 26, 2023

A #MeToo-themed Tea Talk will be held on the last day of Sexual Assault Awareness Week. During this session, attendees will have crucial conversations about the #MeToo movement while sipping warm beverages.

Contact Gianne Carlo Silverio (09567721006) if you have any queries or issues concerning Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

Conclusion

We must reject the myth that only a limited number of people are impacted by sexual violence during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Before engaging in any type of sexual assault advocacy activity, we must first evaluate our own level of inclusivity. This entails first facing any internalized biases such as sexism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, and racism. This is particularly true at a country wherein rape culture is still rampant, where environments frequently feature a preponderance of some men, especially physically fit individuals.

Additional Resources

• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (directs the caller to a local rape crisis center)

• Information for LGBTQ+ survivors: LGBTQ Survivors of Sexual Violence (RAINN)

• Information about sexual assault and disabilities: Sexual Abuse of People with Disabilities (RAINN)

• "Seek and Speak" Hotline : 09927524699

References:

Staff, O. (2021, March 25). Sexual Assault Awareness Month: How Can We Help Those at Risk? Retrieved April 3, 2023, from @NCStateOIED website: https://diversity.ncsu.edu/news/2021/03/25/sexual-assault-awareness-month-how-can-we-help-those-at-risk/

College partners with OASIS to bring Sexual Assault Awareness Week programming to campus April 22–26. (2019). Retrieved April 3, 2023, from Lmc.edu website: https://www.lmc.edu/about/news-center/articles/2019/college-partners-with-oasis-to-bring-sexual-assault-awareness-week-programming-to-campus-april-2226.htm

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