Sexual Assault Awareness

Access resources, graphics, merchandise, events, and a toolkit relating to Sexual Assault Awareness Month from the NSVRC. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is the leading nonprofit in providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence. NSVRC translates research and trends into best practices that help individuals, communities and service providers achieve real and lasting change. NSVRC also works with the media to promote informed reporting.

NO MORE is dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness, inspiring action and fueling culture change. Every April, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), one of the many leading organizations on NO MORE’s steering committee, coordinates the national Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign for the month of April to educate and engage the public in addressing this widespread issue.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. Need help? Call 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW does not provide services directly to the public. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. Find local resources on our map or call one of the national hotlines.

Legal Momentum is a national nonprofit organization that leads action for the legal rights of women. Our targeted litigation, education, policy advocacy, and research help to shape the laws and policies that affect gender equality and ensure that they are properly implemented and enforced. Successful initiatives include judicial education programs on the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence; successful advocacy for the Violence Against Women Act; and representing women who have been subjected to workplace discrimination with precedent-setting litigation.

For the past 21 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent.

Established in 1971 by pioneering feminist activists, Peace Over Violence is a sexual and domestic violence, intimate partner stalking, child abuse and youth violence prevention center headquartered in Los Angeles. POV is committed to social service, social change and social justice. POV’s innovative programs are comprehensive and include Emergency, Intervention, Prevention, Education and Advocacy services.

Since 2001, men, women, and their families around the world have joined award-winning Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®: The International Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence. It is a dramatic opportunity to raise awareness in your community about the serious causes, effects, and remediations to men's sexualized violence. We ask men to walk in women's high-heeled shoes to actively confront gender stereotypes and expectations. In this space of playful confrontation and openness, it's possible to reveal and consider many of the underlying causes of men's sexualized violence with less defensiveness and denial.

Approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience sexual violence in their lifetime. If you’ve experienced sexual assault, know that it isn’t your fault. We hope this guide can serve as a resource in your time of need and answer any questions you may have about what to do next.