This past Sunday marked the beginning of the month of April, which means that Sexual Assault Awareness month has begun. By no means, though, did this movement wait until the month of April to take shape in 2017-2018. As of recently, it almost feels as though the country has become more aware of sexual assault than ever.
An extremely recent article we can thank abcnews for issued a gentle but urgent reminder of the current statistics when it comes to sexual assault. Crediting all figures to the NSVRC, the website states that 1 in 3 women will experience sexual violence, as well as 1 in 6 men. It goes on to state that a whopping 63% of sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement. On college campuses, that percent grows to 90+.
These large numbers are a disconcerting reminder of how normalized rape culture has become (and how often is goes overlooked), but they are also an assurance that while sexual assault can feel like (and is) one of the most isolating experiences possible, by definition no victim of it is alone. This was most recently brought to our attention as a nation by the #MeToo movement, when sexual assault survivors all over were brave enough to acknowledge and share their stories.
NSVRC has dedicated a space for support of what this month stands for. Many of their resources draw attention to important parts of their campaign, such as how to TALK about sexual assault, how to assist survivors, and how to healthily communicate consent. These are messages that we should remember and put to use this April, as well as all year. April is dedicated to this issue and this movement, but it never loses importance. Our support should never lose momentum either.