Did you know April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)? A movement to raise awareness about sexual assault began in the 1970s, and in 2001 this month was first officially recognized.
As women, the importance of the sexual assault conversation cannot be understated as we experience significantly higher rates of sexual assault than men (though men are unfortunately not excluded). Although sexual assault is a highly sensitive topic, it’s important to keep the conversation going to educate the public, increase prevention, and support survivors.
What is Sexual Assault?
Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual contact or behavior that happens without clear, freely given consent. It can include things like unwanted touching, groping, forced sexual acts, or being pressured into sex when you don’t want to.
The Truth About Sexual Assault for Women
Approximately 1 in 5 women (21.3%) in the U.S. have experienced completed or attempted rape in their lifetime.
About 51.1% of female rape victims reported being raped by an intimate partner, and 40.8% by an acquaintance.
Females aged 16–19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.
Only 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to the police, meaning more than 2 out of 3 go unreported.
Sexual violence can lead to long-term effects, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Know the Signs: Sexual Assault
How do you know if you’ve been sexually assaulted? Often women can leave a situation confused about what happened. Was it sexual assault? Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you aren’t sure.
Did someone touch you or make physical contact with you in a way that felt wrong or uncomfortable?
Were you ever coerced or forced into a sexual act you didn’t want?
Were you unable to give consent because you were intoxicated, unconscious, or in a situation where you couldn’t communicate clearly?
Did someone ignore your boundaries or not listen when you said “no” or expressed discomfort?
Did you feel scared or unsafe during any interaction?
The most important thing you should know is consent isn’t confusing. Consent should be a clear and enthusiastic “yes”. Just because you didn’t say no, does not necessarily mean you consented.
Secondly, consent can also be withdrawn at any time. If you feel uncomfortable or change your mind, you have every right to say “no” even after you’ve said “yes”.
If You’ve Experienced This—You aren’t alone.
We want to say this loud and clear: If you have experienced sexual assault, it is not your fault. It’s normal to feel a range of emotions after experiencing something like this. Many women deal with feelings of shame, confusion, anger, or even numbness.
We want you to know that healing is possible. It’s important that you feel seen, heard, and allow yourself time to heal from this. There are many amazing resources out there for women who have experienced sexual assault.
If you need someone to speak with, look at the National Sexual Assault Hotline here: online.rainn.org
Or call this number: 800-656-4673
You are not alone. If you’ve experienced sexual assault help is available.
How to Support a Friend
If a friend comes to you and shares their experience, it’s important to respond with empathy and care. Sometimes facing this kind of trauma with a friend can feel helpless, but the most important thing you can do is be there with them. Here are some other ways to respond if you aren’t confident:
Listen without judgement: Women who have faced sexual assault already deal with a lot of unwarranted shame. Listen without judgement while they share their experience.
Believe them: Many women doubt their own experiences. It’s important to validate and believe your friends when they share.
Respect their choices: Healing from sexual assault can be a long and difficult path that is paved differently for everyone. Be patient with them and respect how they decide to proceed.
Check in with them regularly: While your friend might seem okay on the outside, the only way to know how they’re doing on the inside is by asking them.
Sharing a sexual assault experience takes a lot of courage, but if they shared it with you, it means they trust you to walk through this with them.
Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention
One goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is promoting prevention. When we get the conversation started about sexual assault, we can move toward a society that is educated and work toward preventing this terrible act. We all have a role to play in creating an environment where sexual assault is not tolerated. Whether you have your own business, have a group at school, or are raising the next generation your words can create a world where sexual assault is never okay.
As women, we can empower each other to trust our instincts, say “no” without apology, and know when to walk away from a harmful situation. The more we speak up, the safer we all become.
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