Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
I speak out because I believe that every survivor deserves a safe place to find help. Speak out with me this Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Visit: rainn.org/SAAPM #SAAPM
The Statistics
The statistics are terrifying. Every ninety-two seconds someone is sexually assaulted. That means that by the time you finish reading this short post, someone has been assaulted. Maybe someone you know.
Make a Call
If you’ve been assaulted, or you know someone who has been, it can be overwhelming. You don’t know what to do or where to turn.
Reach out.
Whether you’re need support, information, advice, or a referral, RAINN’s trained support specialists are ready to help.
Call 800-656-HOPE (4653). There is no charge.
Or if you prefer, there is a CHAT feature available on the RAINN website.
How You Can Help
- Post a photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook of a blue triangle on your hand on Thursday, April 4 to show your support of RAINN Day. A blue triangle represents a megaphone to remind us to use our voices to spread awareness about sexual violence.
- Change your Facebook profile photo to include RAINN SAAPM frame. Available on Facebook on April 1. Search RAINN SAAPM 2019 to find it.
- Tell one person in your life about RAINN and SAAPM.
- What to share? This week, encourage others to speak out by sharing our custom-made posts below on social media:
Want more information about RAINN before you volunteer or donate? Read my post Help Me Help Prevent Sexual Assault.
Why I Speak Out
Although I’ve written briefly about my sexual assault in other posts, I’d rather stay quiet about my suspicions that I was a victim of sexual assault. I was very young, my memory is not clear…I could be wrong…but I don’t think so.
I know that talking to someone about sexual assault can be scary. But it is healing. Even when you doubt your memory. It took time. It took talking to therapists but I did it. And so can you.
There is no one way to heal from sexual assault. Your path will be different from mine. Know that there are resources out there. You can get help. It probably isn’t going to be easy. But you need to know that healing is possible. That is why I must speak out.
You May Never Know
The images and much of the text of this post are courtesy of the RAINN website https://www.rainn.org and the copyright for the images and words belongs to them. But their message is mine. Their message is yours. Speak Out. Spread awareness. Tell one person about RAINN or about the Sexual Assault and Awareness hotline. You may never know how your words helped someone recover from a sexual assault.