Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is a time for survivors, advocates, and allies to come together, spread awareness, and promote the prevention of sexual violence. This year, our campaign “Building Connected Communities” emphasizes that creating environments free of sexual violence is only possible when we approach the issue on a community level.
College campuses are an excellent place to commemorate SAAM as it is an opportunity to transform campus culture and increase awareness about sexual violence. Faculty, professors, Title IX offices, public safety, student media, and everyday students all have the power to not only take a public stance against sexual violence but to make the college experience safer and more equitable for all. SAAM is one of the many steps we can take together; we look forward to seeing you all walk down this path with us.
There is no overnight solution to the issue of sexual violence, but there are actions your campus community can take TODAY.
Plan Out Your #30DaysofSAAM
Each year, NSVRC makes up a calendar for the month of April with post prompts for each day. Everyone who participates in the #30DaysofSAAM Instagram challenge is eligible to win our prizes (Etsy gift cards)! Who wouldn’t want to spread the word and help a small business at the same time?
Committed to Ending Sexual Violence? Sign the SAAM Proclamation
The first step to being an ally is voicing your allyship. Sign our SAAM Proclamation to demonstrate to your campus audience that you want to join the national effort to stop sexual violence!
Share Out Our Graphics, Posters, and Coloring Pages
In-person or online, you can show your love for our campaign by sharing our coloring pages with your friends, hanging posters around your campus’ most popular buildings, and downloading our social media graphics to share all month-long! Additionally, look into our Social Media Guidance for inspiration when curating your posts.
Look Into Our Merchandise
Did you know we have SAAM 2024 merchandise? Stickers and lanyards are available at our online store.
Are you ready to plan out even further? Perhaps you’d like to bring your campus community together for an event. In our blog about Campus SAAM events, we got in touch with campuses across the country and learned about what types of events they held and how they got them off the ground. Maybe you’d like to host a march? A carnival? A public art piece? A poetry slam? A 5K? A movie night? A workshop? A panel discussion? Or maybe something else altogether? Read our blog, brainstorm, and share with us the ways you get your campus involved in SAAM this year!
Are you looking for any particular dates to host a SAAM event? We have two dates for you to mark on your schedule!
SAAM Day of Action (Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024)
The SAAM Day of Action takes place on the first Tuesday of every April, and is the opportunity to show your support with your peers and larger community. Put on your teal shirt and show us how you’re commemorating this year’s SAAM Day of Action!
Denim Day (Wednesday, April 24th, 2024)
Denim Day was a campaign started as a result of an Italian Supreme Court Case in which a survivor wasn’t believed due to the tightness of her jeans. The campaign website states, “Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.”
If you are a student-run media organization, you also have the unique opportunity to transform the public conversation surrounding sexual violence on your campus. In addition to reporting on any SAAM-related events, you can use the month of April to review best practices and resources for Reporting on Sexual Violence with your team. Not only could this help your university’s news outlet, but it can also set a good foundation for the reporters of tomorrow when they tackle this issue.
Finally, to the college campus faculty, teachers, Title IX officers, and public safety officials, we encourage you to use SAAM as an opportunity to reach out or donate to your local rape crisis centers. Forging ties with your local advocates and service providers can only help bolster their mission and help you connect any survivor on your campus to the resources and contacts they need to process and heal. Don’t know where to start? We curated a national Directory of Organizations so anyone can find local, state, and national partners in our field. If your campus works to connect with those on-the-ground in our field, you will truly build a connected community.