Sexual Assault Awareness Month by Kristin Ritchey, MEd

Did you know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month? While it’s not always comfortable to talk about, preventing future sexual violence depends on our ability to identify prevention strategies and understand the best ways to support survivors.  The sad reality is that 53% of women and 29% of men report experiencing sexual violence.  There are many individuals who do not ever disclose or report being a survivor of sexual assault, so this statistic likely underestimates the prevalence of sexual violence.  

Societal norms and culture play a large role in preventing or proliferating sexual violence.  More recently, individuals who report experiencing sexual violence at the hands of high profile individuals have been accused of lying to receive attention and a financial settlement.  Statistically, this is unlikely.  Fewer than 10% of sexual assaults reported are found to be false. Is this number potentially higher when the accused is high profile? Sure.  And, it’s important to realize that this culture of disbelief has extremely real impacts for survivors everywhere.  

Consider the recent number of political appointees and nominees accused of sexual violence who are confirmed despite survivors coming forwards with their stories.  What message does this send to survivors? Well, they likely see that no matter what they say and no matter how loudly they say it, nothing changes.  In fact, speaking up increases their risk of being villainized and ridiculed. Thus, survivors are more likely to suffer in silence than risk compounding their trauma. 

The increasing societal norm to doubt survivors of sexual violence is considered to be a risk factor for a culture with a high level of sexual assault by researchers and sexual assault prevention organizations.  Failure to identify and challenge these norms could eventually lead to a culture where sexual assault survivors are shrouded in shame and have little to no recourse against their assailants.  

Additionally, the United States in particular is seeing an increased focus on “traditional family values”, meaning a heteronormative society and increased male power/dominance.  The emerging “tradwife” trend proposes women focus primarily on the household and childrearing while men participate more broadly in society.  Increased pressure to adhere to these more rigid gender norms could indicate an additional risk factor for increased sexual assault.  

If these systemic changes feel daunting to implement, it’s probably because they are! Systemic change requires intentional, prolonged efforts to challenge and replace harmful beliefs and norms.  But the good news is that this change starts at an individual level, and you can make a difference in your communities and networks in more manageable ways.  Consider the following ways to challenge rhetoric and shut down harmful or insensitive comments: 

• If you hear a joke about sexual assault or a survivor, simply saying “I don’t find that to be funny at all” will usually shut down the conversation. 

• Support your local sexual violence prevention center or rape crisis center.  Volunteering or contributing financially allows 

• Believe survivors.  If an individual discloses an experience of sexual assault to you, believe them.  Trust too that they know the best way to move forward for them, whether or not that involves legal recourse. 

• Support policies and institutions that reduce oppression for historically marginalized populations, including women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC individuals.  At it’s core, sexual violence is an effort to oppress or control on an individual level.  Research shows that anti oppressive measures constitute a critical protective factor against the proliferation of sexual violence.  

At the end of the day, change is slow and change is hard.  Awareness is always the first step so just by reading this blog, you’ve already started to grease the wheels of progress.  Share what you know and continue learning and questioning rhetoric and cultural shifts as they relate to sexual violence.