Sexual Assault Awareness Month

In the United States, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness of sexual assault and educate communities on how to support survivors and prevent future violence. We know that one month alone isn’t enough to solve the serious and widespread issue of sexual violence, but the attention SAAM generates is an opportunity to energize and expand awareness and prevention efforts throughout the rest of the year.

More common than most realize, 1 in 5 women and about 1 in 14 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime.¹ In North Dakota, 1,363 victims of sexual assault were served by domestic violence/sexual assault advocacy centers in 2024.

Each year, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) leads a nationwide campaign for SAAM. This year’s theme is “25 Years Stronger: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” According to NSVRC, this theme “honors the history and growth of the movement while reaffirming our commitment to a safer future for all. Looking back, we remember the survivors and advocates who laid the foundation for change. Moving forward, we renew our focus on prevention, healing, and action.” Read more about the theme and history of SAAM on NSVRC’s website.

April 7^th is the SAAM Day of Action/Wear Teal Day

The first Tuesday of April is the SAAM Day of Action. The Day of Action is recognized nationally and is an opportunity to kickoff your SAAM efforts. It’s a great day to host an event, post on social media, or wear teal to show your support for survivors. Teal is the color of sexual assault awareness and prevention. By wearing teal on the Day of Action, you’re signaling that you support survivors and are a safe person to talk to if they need to reach out.

April 29^th is Denim Day

Wear jeans with a purpose on April 29th to take a stand against victim blaming. The Denim Day campaign began in 1999 after an Italian Supreme Court case was overturned on the judgment that the victim was wearing very tight jeans when she was assaulted. The justices decided that the victim would have had to have helped the offender remove the jeans, meaning that the incident was not rape, but consensual sex. Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament protested this ruling by wearing jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. Every year, we continue to wear jeans on Denim Day to protest harmful myths about why women and girls are sexually assaulted. Read more about Denim Day.

Find more awareness events hosted by NDDSVC and our member organizations on our Awareness Events page.

As the leader against sexual violence in North Dakota, NDDSVC coordinates a statewide campaign for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. All month long, we’ll be sharing information on consent and how to get help if you’ve experienced sexual violence. We’re also collaborating with our member organizations—18 domestic violence and sexual assault victim advocacy centers across the state—to share keychains and stickers with consent-centered messages across the state. NDDSVC’s member organizations are also hosting events and sharing content on their social media channels to raise awareness and inform North Dakotans on the prevalence of sexual assault in our communities.

NDDSVC members can download our toolkit of resources to help celebrate SAAM.

Sources:

1. Smith, S.G., Zhang, X., Basile, K.C., Merrick, M.T., Wang, J., Kresnow, M., Chen, J. (2018). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2015 Data Brief – Updated Release. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)