April 2017 is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 12:50:04 -0400

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Every 107 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted.

Approximately 4/5 of rapes are committed by someone known to the victim.

Survivors of sexual assault are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

These are just a few statistics to highlight why this month of awareness is so very important for our campus and our greater community. We have several events this April that will honor the voices and experiences of survivors of sexual assault. Additionally, there are events that will seek to raise awareness about sexual assault and the importance of effective consent.

The event calendar is attached to this post. Please feel free to download, mark your calendar with the events you plan on attending, and share the word with other students, staff, and faculty.

Highlighted Events:

Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault Workshop

Wednesday, April 5th from 4-5pm for UMBC faculty and staff

Tuesday, April 12th from 4-5pm for UMBC students

All workshops are in the Women's Center. Please register if you plan on attending.

The Clothesline Project Display:

Wednesday, April 6th on Commons Main Street from 10am-3pm. (Opportunities to make shirts for the display will be made available on several occasions leading up to the 6th. See attached calendar for details)

Take Back the Night:

Thursday, April 13th on Commons Main Street. The survivor speak-out will begin at 6:30pm and will be followed by campus march. We encourage people to arrive beginning at 6:15pm. Bring your rally signs (which you can make in the Women's Center during the week of April 10th).

Follow #UMBCtbtn on social media for updates and join the Facebook event here. You can learn more about UMBC's TBTN by following our blog for the "What You Need to Know about Take Back the Night" series.

Monument Quilt Workshop:

Wednesday, April 19th from 4-6pm in the Women's Center

The Monument Quilt is a crowd-sourced collection of thousands of stories from survivors of rape and abuse. By stitching our stories together, we are creating and demanding public space to heal. Supplies will be provided. All are welcome. Registration not required but is helpful to ensure we have enough supplies and snacks. Register here.

Events Adds/Edits Post Calendar Printing!

Just Ask! Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Panel hosted by Office of Human Relations Programs

Wednesday, April 26th from 5-7pm in Harbor Multipurpose Room. Click here for more details.

Living in Silence: Gender Based Violence in the Immigrant Community is now May 1st from 7-8:30pm. For details, click here.

If you have questions about any of the listed events or about sexual assault resources, please contact Jess Myers, Women's Center Director, at jessm@umbc.edu, 410-455-2714.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for SAAM updates and information throughout the month of April!

For more information on the statistics above.