Sexual assault does not stop when awareness months end — and neither should efforts to fight it. As campuses across the country recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, University advocates and counseling leaders say true change depends on consistent, year-round action.
At the University, the Women’s Resources Center leads campus programming during SAAM and throughout the year.
Through events, confidential advising and advocacy, the WRC centers student voices in the fight against sexual violence.
Gabrielle Schwartz, associate director of advocacy at the WRC, emphasized the importance of student engagement.
“I think (SAAM) is an opportunity to highlight the needs of our students,” Schwartz said. “(SAAM) is a time for us to further amplify voices and conversation … We have an awareness month planning committee, and we will pull students in to really get their input on what (they) want to see amplified.”
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Events planned during April included The Clothesline Project Visual Exhibit, where survivors and allies decorated T-shirts to share their stories, and this month’s Book Club discussed “Saving Five,” which dove into the emotional complexities survivors face when transforming their experiences into activism.
The WRC also stresses that healing is not a one-size-fits-all process. It has full-time confidential advisors who work with survivors on navigating their rights, resources and options.
“Being a student is hard, but being a student and a survivor is hard,” Schwartz said. “It is (the student’s) journey, and they get to reach out at their own pace … survivors do not have to do anything they do not want to.”
In addition to direct support services, the WRC also emphasizes the importance of education and student leadership in preventing sexual violence.
HK 112: Sexual Violence Prevention Theory and Practice is a course that introduces students to the foundations of sexual violence prevention education. The course not only explores the societal factors contributing to sexual violence but also equips students with the skills to lead peer workshops as part of FYCARE.
Nataly Meza, sexual violence prevention coordinator at the WRC, discussed the growing interest in the class.
“There are more than 2,000 students that are interested,” Meza said. “We have the highest peer educators we’ve had in a really long time before COVID-19. So just seeing that brings me so much hope that we do have students that are taking the time to be leaders.”
Outside of campus, organizations like Greenlight Family Services are also expanding access to empower student survivors.
Maria Nanos, CEO of Greenlight, is in partnership with Chicago area universities and private practice therapists to provide 20 free therapy sessions to currently enrolled student survivors who have experienced sexual harm while in high school, college or graduate school.
“(Therapy) is one of the single most important experiences that one would participate in for healing,” Nanos said. “While we get support from friends … (it’s) individual time with a therapist — someone who is not afraid to ask the hard questions — that can really help the survivor move past their particular circumstance.”
Nanos said that providing free counseling helps eliminate barriers like insurance or family disclosure, giving students a confidential space to begin recovery.
Greenlight also offers a free consultation to students who are unsure if therapy is the right fit for them.
As campuses and communities reflect during SAAM, advocates urge continued commitment to prevention, awareness and survivor support beyond April.
“The best investment you can make is to yourself, and you will never be sorry if you reach out,” Nanos said. “It might get a little worse before it gets better … but when you can see past that, (survivors) are not alone, it is nothing to be ashamed of, and let’s just talk it out.”
SAAM may last just 30 days, but the need for action, empathy and education continues every day of the year. The path to change begins not just by showing up, but by speaking out against sexual violence.
