Every April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month highlights the urgent need to address sexual violence and support survivors. While awareness campaigns bring national attention to the issue, sexual violence remains a widespread and deeply personal reality, especially on college campuses. Understanding the realities of sexual violence, correcting widespread misconceptions, and increasing awareness of available support services are essential steps in creating a safer and more informed community, especially at the University of Central Florida.
The Origins and Purpose of Sexual assault awareness month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month began as part of a broader movement in the 1970s when activists organized marches and events like “Take Back the Night” to protest sexual violence and demand change. In 2001, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center formally recognized April as SAAM, providing a coordinated effort to raise awareness and promote prevention nationwide.
Each year, SAAM adopts a theme to encourage public education and engagement. While the theme may change annually, the focus remains consistent: to advocate for prevention, support survivors, and challenge the societal norms that allow sexual violence to persist.
Facts vs. Myths About Sexual Assault
Misconceptions about sexual assault are deeply rooted and harmful, often reinforcing stigma and discouraging survivors from seeking help. Debunking these myths is essential to creating an environment where survivors are believed and supported.
Myth: Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers.
The majority of survivors know their perpetrators. According to RAINN, approximately 80% of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, such as a friend, partner, classmate, coworker, or acquaintance. This contradicts the common portrayal of sexual violence as random or committed by a masked attacker, and it reinforces the need to understand the dynamics of trust and coercion in sexual assault.
Myth: False accusations are common.
False reporting of sexual assault is very rare. Research shows that only 2–10% of sexual assault reports are false, a figure comparable to false reports of other major crimes. Yet this myth continues to dominate public debate, often overshadowing the much more common reality of underreporting due to fear, trauma, and retaliation.
Myth: If the victim didn’t fight back, it wasn’t assault.
Many survivors freeze during an assault—a trauma response known as tonic immobility. The absence of physical resistance does not indicate consent. Consent must be freely and clearly given; silence, fear, or passivity are not forms of agreement.
Myth: Alcohol or drugs make survivors partly responsible.
According to BYU Advocates, “anyone who gets drunk and is sexually assaulted is never at fault—regardless of what they were wearing, how much they had to drink, or where they were.” Victim-blaming attitudes like these deter survivors from coming forward and only reinforce harmful cultural norms.
Myth: Sexual assault is only a women’s issue.
While women and gender minorities are disproportionately impacted, men also experience sexual assault and often face additional stigma when disclosing. According to national data, 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime, and male college students are often less likely to report it due to cultural pressures around masculinity.
Sexual Assault on College Campuses
Sexual assault is especially prevalent in college settings, where power dynamics, peer pressure, and lack of awareness contribute to vulnerability. According to RAINN, 13% of all college students—male, female, and gender non-conforming—experience rape or sexual assault through physical force or incapacitation. Undergraduate women between the ages of 18 and 24 face the highest risk.
Many assaults occur during what is known as the Red Zone, the period between the start of the fall semester and Thanksgiving break, when new students are adjusting to campus life. Studies show that over 50% of college sexual assaults take place during this window. Despite these statistics, most incidents are never reported, often due to fear of retaliation, lack of trust in institutional systems, or shame.
As someone who was sexually assaulted in high school and again while attending community college, starting at a university was difficult because I was still carrying trauma I hadn’t fully dealt with. I often felt afraid, ashamed, and alone—feelings many survivors know too well. Being on campus sometimes heightened those feelings, especially in unfamiliar spaces or around peers who didn’t understand the complexity of trauma. It took time to realize that healing doesn’t have to happen in silence.
Sexual violence on campuses has lasting effects beyond the immediate trauma. Survivors often experience mental health challenges such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and academic struggles. Without appropriate intervention and support, these impacts can compound over time.
Empowering Survivors Through Awareness and Action
Empowering survivors means more than just acknowledging their pain—it means creating environments that support healing, encourage justice, and challenge harmful social norms. One way to do this is by making room for survivor voices in classrooms, organizations, and media, while also promoting active bystander behavior and informed consent education. Showing support may include using inclusive language, believing survivors without pressuring them to share details, and amplifying their voices instead of speaking over them. These small acts of advocacy can have long-lasting effects in making survivors feel seen and supported.
Events like Denim Day, held every April, give people a chance to stand in solidarity with survivors and protest victim-blaming. The campaign was inspired by a real legal case in which a survivor’s jeans were used as justification for the dismissal of charges—sparking outrage and international protest.
Support and Resources Available at UCF
Survivors at UCF have access to a comprehensive network of support services, whether or not they choose to file a formal report. UCF Victim Services offers 24/7 confidential advocacy (407-823-1200), including emotional support, safety planning, academic accommodations, and referrals for medical or legal assistance.
Students can report sexual violence through UCF’s Title IX Office, which investigates cases and ensures university policies are upheld. Reporting is never mandatory—students have the right to seek help and explore their options at their own pace.
At UCF, the Let’s Be Clear initiative works to prevent relationship and sexual violence by providing workshops, peer education, and resources aimed at promoting respectful communication and intervention. These types of campus-based initiatives are critical to moving from awareness to action.
Other resources include Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Student Health Center, and the Office of Institutional Equity. Together, these departments aim to provide trauma-informed care that prioritizes the survivor’s needs, safety, and autonomy.
The Path Forward: Prevention and Empowerment
Ending sexual violence requires more than campaigns and statements—it requires a long-term commitment to education, accountability, and cultural change. Prevention involves teaching people how to recognize coercion, understand consent, and intervene when someone may be at risk. It also means holding institutions and individuals accountable when harm occurs.
At UCF, students, faculty, and staff can all play a role in cultivating a respectful campus culture. Whether by supporting survivors, participating in workshops, or simply correcting misinformation, everyone contributes to the broader movement for safety and justice.
For survivors, healing is not linear. But when a community is informed, compassionate, and proactive, it becomes a place where no one has to suffer in silence—and where the path forward is paved with strength, not shame. SAAM serves as a reminder that preventing sexual violence requires more than awareness—it demands education, empathy, and ongoing action. By challenging harmful myths, supporting survivors, and promoting a culture of consent, we can help create safer, more informed communities both on and off campus.