Sexual Assault Awareness/ Prevention Month (& Day 4/5)

Sexual violence, harassment, assault, and abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere. April has been deemed Sexual Assault Awareness / Prevention Month with the goal of educating, learning, and preventing sexual assault.

How You Can Get Involved

Sexual Assault Awareness/ Prevention Month presents an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and work to help those affected by sexual assault. A few ways you can get involved include:

Educate Yourself

Many valuable resources are available to you that will help you learn more about preventing sexual violence and raise your own awareness about the subject. You can find information in resources like RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organization, and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Share Information with Your Community

There is an abundance of helpful information many people are missing out on. As you learn more about sexual assault, you can provide useful information to the community around you through your social media, word of mouth, or whatever else you can come up with.

Volunteer or Donate

There are a ton of opportunities to volunteer or donate your resources toward helping those who have been impacted by sexual assault or dating violence. You can check organizations in your area, volunteer through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, or donate your resources to organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Preventing Dating Violence

Dating violence is a significant issue in the United States. This is why learning the best ways to prevent it may just be the thing that could save someone’s life. A few ways we can work to prevent dating violence includes.

Educating our communities about what dating violence can look like, signs of an abusive partner, and resources that can help one leave a violent situation
Empowering our loved ones to lead healthy lives and develop healthy relationships
Creating communities in which violent behaviors are deemed socially unacceptable

Educating our communities and creating spaces for our loved ones to build healthy self-esteem and relationships can be crucial in preventing dating violence.

What Does Dating Violence Look Like?

Dating violence is a form of violence that occurs between two people involved in an intimate relationship and can look like:

Physical violence. This can include hitting, pushing, kicking, or any other form of physical assault.
Sexual violence. This can include sexual assault, rape, or any other form of sexual violence.
Emotional or Psychological Abuse. This can include insults, yelling, threats, or name-calling.
Stalking. This includes constant unwanted phone calls or text messages and showing up unwelcome.

Sexual Assault Counseling

Sexual assault is a truly traumatic experience. Raising awareness to prevent sexual assaults and dating violence is crucial to creating a safer world. This is why we have decided to sponsor the photography group Britlee Marie Photography, as they fundraise for EVE (End Violent Encounters), an organization with a mission to put a stop to domestic violence and sexual abuse.

If you or a loved one are in need of counseling after experiencing sexual assault or dating violence, we are here for you. Contact Michigan Psychological Care today.

References

https://www.nsvrc.org/
https://www.rainn.org/about-rainn

https://go.rainn.org/l/699033/2021-01-13/5ql5p
https://youth.gov/youth-topics/teen-dating-violence

Keywords: sexual addiction, sexual assault counseling, dating violence, preventing dating violence