April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, or SAAM, a month dedicated to promoting sexual assault awareness and prevention. Survivors, supporters, and community members alike are able to come together in this time to share stories, strategies, and resources with one another in open conversations about sexual violence. At Ursinus, the Peer Advocates have worked to create a month full of events “centered around awareness and support,” as described in their recent email sent to students. Through their upcoming events and education opportunities during SAAM, the Peer Advocates aim to show the Ursinus community what support is available here on campus. Beyond Ursinus, organizations such as the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), and the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, host number of resources, news, events, and other ways to get help, get involved, and get educated. April is not the only time to be aware about sexual violence, but it’s an incredible opportunity to start being aware or deepen your existing awareness.
Teal is a symbol of sexual violence prevention and awareness, making it a popular color choice during the month of April. In the upcoming Peer Advocates event, Paint the Campus Teal with the Victim Services Center (VSC) of Montgomery County, students are encouraged to wear teal to show their support for the month and the meaning behind it. The color originates from 2000, when the Resource Sharing Project (RSP) and NSVRC polled several anti-sexual violence coalitions to determine the preferred color to represent the movement. Teal ribbons have been used to mark sexual violence prevention activism ever since.
Another important aspect of SAAM is Denim Day. “What started as a local event in Los Angeles to bring awareness to victim blaming and destructive myths that surround sexual violence has grown into a worldwide movement,” details the Denim Day webpage, created by the Peace Over Violence Executive Director Patti Giggans. The event stems from a ruling in 1992 by the Italian Supreme Court to overturn a rape conviction. In this case, the victim’s jeans were very tight, and the court ruled that she must have aided in the removal of them, thereby giving consent. In response to this decision, several women in the Italian Parliament showed up to work in jeans to show their solidarity with the victim, and ultimately created an annual movement on the last Wednesday of April in the victim’s honor.
Denim Day calls for members of the community to make a stand against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence, by wearing jeans or any other form of denim on this day. This year, Denim Day falls on April 29th, but with the Ursinus community hosting the annual Celebration of Student Achievement (CoSA) on that day, the Peer Advocates plan to show their support for sexual violence victims on the following day, Thursday the 30th.
Through the upcoming events coming to campus by the Peer Advocates listed below, students, staff, and any members of the Ursinus community are welcome and encouraged to show support for those affected by sexual violence and bring to light topics that are often difficult to talk about, yet important to talk about. Support is offered on campus from a variety of sources, such as the Peer Advocates, Wellness Center, and Chaplain Betty Wright Riggins, to name a few. Show support this April by becoming educated and aware on how to participate in SAAM.
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