Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is an annual campaign that raises awareness about sexual assault and helps to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. 

Each year, during the month of April, community organizations, rape crisis centers, government agencies, businesses, campuses and individuals plan events and activities to highlight sexual violence as a public health, human rights and social justice issue and to support the need for prevention and education of sexual assault.

The decade of the 1970’s experienced an increased need for prevention and awareness of sexual violence across the country.  This followed the general trend of social activism throughout the decade.  In 1971, the “Bay Area Women Against Rape” opened the nation’s first rape crisis center.  This crisis centered offered immediate victim services.

By 1976, “Take Back The Night” marches were held to protest against rape and sexual assault.  These marches protested the violence and fear that women encountered walking the streets at night.  Over time, these events coordinated into a movement across the United States and Europe.

In the early 1980’s, activists used October to raise awareness for violence against women and domestic violence.  In the late 1980’s, the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) selected the month of April for a nationally recognized month for sexual violence awareness and prevention activities.  SAMM was first observed nationally in April, 2001.

Survivors, advocates, and state coalitions mobilized around the creation and implementation of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994.  This bill was the first national law requiring law enfor4cement to treat gender violence as a crime rather than a private family matter.  The Violence Against Women Ace was also designed to strengthen legal protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual violence as well as to expand services to survivors and their children.