Sexual Assault Awareness month is a time to recognize the prevalence and impacts of sexual violence in our society. Sexual violence continues to be one of the most underreported crimes in our community and impacts hundreds of thousands of people every year in the United States as RAINN reports that every 68 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted.

The Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence theme for SAAM 2022 is Embrace Your Voice: Build Your Community. It takes a unified community to address the complexities of sexual assault. We continue to witness power imbalances that benefit perpetrators and a general lack of accountability as statistics show that out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, 975 perpetrators will walk free. We see time and time again that survivors are afraid to report sexual assaults due to fears of not being believed, fears of retaliation, and fears that the system will not support them as sexual violence is rooted in racism, oppression, sexism, and homophobia.

This April, we ask you to envision a society in which survivors are believed, supported, and embraced with adequate care and resources in the aftermath of sexual assault. A community that creates a culture of support for survivors to disclose safely so that no survivor fears coming forward. Imagine a community and system that is trauma-responsive and provides all survivors with equitable access to the care, support, and resources they need in the aftermath of trauma.

We invite you to be part of building that community for survivors. Each individual has the power to contribute to that vision that empowers and uplifts survivors of sexual violence.

Here are some ways to get involved during SAAM:

  • Engage with us on social media! Each follow, comment, like, and share helps us increase our visibility to reach more survivors.
  •  Attend our training events to increase your understanding of sexual violence (https://hopeandhealingresources.org/hope-healing-virtual-speaker-and-training-series/)
  • Join our mission to end sexual violence through volunteer and internship opportunities (https://hopeandhealingresources.org/volunteer-intern/)
  • Attend the Take Back the Night Walk at the University of Akron to show support for survivors of sexual assault
    -4/27/22 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM starting at the Student Union
  • Donate to RCC so that we can continue to provide specialized services to survivors of sexual assault at no cost to survivors. (https://hopeandhealingresources.networkforgood.com/projects/147566-sexual-assault-awareness-month)
  • Our services include: 24/7 hotline, hospital accompaniment, trauma therapy, court advocacy, and aftercare support.
  • Request a training to increase awareness of sexual violence and the impacts on survivors.
  •  Share RCC as a resource for survivors. Contact our hotline 24/7 at 330-434-7273.