Imagine you’ve just arrived at your dream college. You seem to make friends fairly quickly, so much so that there is a small gathering forming in your dorm. After a movie and some recreational drugs, the party dies down. As your neighbors head back to their rooms, you are left with one visitor. A boy who appeared nice and easygoing.

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Appeared is the keyword.

 

Six hours later, you wake up, disoriented, sore, and bloodied from sexual assault. A trip to the college’s counselor resulted in filing an official matter against your assailant. But because there had been drugs involved, and it’s a “he said, she said” incident, and since there is no “real” proof, the mediators find the hearings solution inconclusive. 

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Imagine that. Inconclusive. Unresolved. Debatable. As if you can’t possibly ascertain what truth is. For Aspen Matis, she did not need to imagine this scenario, she lived it. The assault led to her dropping out of school altogether. It wasn’t until years later that Aspen finished her education at the same college she had left. The school in question should have done more for her as a survivor and human who went through an unspeakable ordeal. Students should not only feel encouraged to speak about the violence they experience but should be taken seriously and receive justice.

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For the past two decades, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center has declared April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The implementation of this month on college campuses is pivotal to our development toward a world in which rape culture is dismantled. This epidemic runs rampant and has increasing effects on students on college campuses all across the country. Resources. Advocacy. Education. Support. These are all themes of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. With the acknowledgment of this month, a college’s staff, faculty, and students can become active participants in the fight against sexual assault.

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We should aim to create an open and supportive environment that encourages students to speak out and take action against the assault and harassment they experience on or off their campus. With the necessary and proper resources available they can feel safe and even empowered. And this encompasses all participants of the school regardless of gender identity, race, or sexual orientation.

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According to the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization RAINN, Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, there is a disturbing amount of cases that affect schools every year. Unfortunately, students are at higher risk to be violated during the beginning of their first and second semesters. Among undergraduates, 26.4% of women and 6.8% of men experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. And for transgender, genderqueer, and nonconforming college students, 23% have been assaulted. For college-aged women survivors, only 1 in 5 receive any assistance from victim service agencies.

Stories like Aspen’s happen far too often. No one should have to suffer in silence, and by educating students about their rights and how to prevent and protect against sexual assault, we can make a difference.

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Colleges can select from this prepackaged list of events and even include some of their own for personalization. A calendar can be filled with events of all sizes, starting with The #MeToo window project. This can be a great interactive activity that helps the public show their support for survivors. By leaving affirmations and messages on sticky notes we can build a healing community. In the same vein, the Clothesline Project is centered around a large gathering of community members. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to write slogans and messages associated with the fight against sexual assault on t-shirts that are provided by those who run the activity. The t-shirts will then be hung on a clothesline, preferably in a public area to demonstrate a protest of some sort. Action can also be taken through “The Pledge to Believe” where students are informed about SAAM and wear teal ribbons in solidarity with the movement.

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Events can also have anonymity to them to protect and accommodate any survivor who is feeling nervous or hesitant about participating. Writing workshops for survivors and supporters can be the cathartic release of any thoughts or feelings. Being able to heal through the practice of writing in a safe and anonymous environment can encourage survivors to be open and free with their experiences.

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Trauma-informed yoga sessions can help give peace of mind to participants. Meditations and rituals can have positive effects on one's body and mindfulness. Learning to create and explore boundaries within yourself is an important aspect of the healing process.

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Projects and activities don't always have to be reflective, you can also set up a collage event where people can put together pieces taken from materials about the month, feminist magazines, and mixed media content. This fun, artistic session can bring a little light to an otherwise scary and upsetting topic.

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These don’t have to happen in any particular order, save for Denim Day being designated on the last Wednesday in April. This day raises awareness against catcalling and other forms of sexual harassment and violence that takes place in public. Participants are encouraged to wear denim to show solidarity for a court case almost two decades old after the victim was judged solely based on her tight-fitting jeans. The Support March is a community-wide function that protests against sexual violence. Making signs with slogans or messages on them and having guest speakers are ways to have a successful event.

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As the month takes place at the end of the semester and school year, it can be a great way for people to get a chance to wind down and take a much-needed break. Those pursuing their educational goals and careers should feel safe and respected in their equitable learning environment. The implementation of Sexual Assault Awareness Month events can promote a culture of respect and accountability on campuses across the nation.