April has been designated as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In 2011, the campaign will focus on getting everyone to speak up so that we can help prevent sexual violence in our cities, workplaces and schools. They are going to explore common, everyday behaviors and offer individuals viable and responsible ways to intervene. By using this prevention approach, it will help to create a safer environment for everyone.
According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men in the U.S., has experienced an attempted or completed rape during their lifetime. There is no single cause that accounts for sexual violence. However, there is a combination of forces that we all should consider – those that increase the risk of violence and those that reduce the chance that violence will occur.
“It’s time . . . to get involved,” is the title of this year’s campaign. They are going to incorporate a bystander approach to sexual violence prevention. They consider a bystander or witness as anyone who sees a situation but may or may not know what to do, maybe they think someone else will act or they may just be afraid to get involved. Current research is showing that getting bystanders involved is a promising way to help prevent the widespread problem we have with sexual violence in our communities.
You can make a huge difference by getting involved. We’ve all seen or heard of people doing things they shouldn’t. Maybe it’s an adult touching a child, a store clerk putting their hands where they shouldn’t, coworkers making inappropriate comments, your friends getting involved with others that may put them in compromising positions, etc. Don’t just lay back and hope for the best. It’s time … to get involved!
