April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and April 7 is SAAM Day of Action. On SAAM Day of Action, we’re wearing teal to spark a conversation about sexual violence. Why teal? Teal symbolizes trust, devotions, and healing – all of which play an important role in SAAM.
I’m particularly drawn to the idea of devotions – specifically, devotion to prevention and devotion to supporting survivors.
I wear teal to bring awareness to sexual violence on campus and beyond. In the U.S., 1 in 4 women and 1 in 19 men will experience sexual violence while in college (1). Outside of campus, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will experience sexual violence (2). LGBTQ+ people experience violence at higher rates (3):
- 1 in 2.2 lesbian women
- 1 in 1.6 bisexual women
- 1 in 3.8 gay men
- 1 in 2.7 bisexual men
- 1 in 2.1 transgender folx
People of Color experience high rates of violence, too (4).
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 34.1%
- Asian/Pacific Islander: 6.8%
- Black: 18.8%
- Hispanic/Latinx: 11.9%
- Mixed Race: 24.4%
- White: 17.7%
I wear teal to show survivors: I see you. I hear you. I believe you. You are strong and you matter. What happened to you was not your fault.
I wear teal because I believe in a world without sexual violence, and everyone has a role to play to get us there. Consent should be part of every physical interaction you have and is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of sex. The best part about consent is that it shows you and you partner(s) are comfortable with each other. Remember to CARE:
- Check that your partner(s) can give consent
- Ask your partner(s) for consent
- Respect their response, no matter what it is
- Empower your partner(s) to make decisions for themselves
You can also be an active bystander. Step in and say something any time you see a situation where someone could be hurt. Check out go.osu.edu/saam to take our quiz and find out what your most comfortable intervention style is!
So I ask, why do you wear teal? Tell us why and show us your teal on Instagram and Twitter: @osuwellness
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, there are several resources available to you: –
- Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio
- The Ohio State University Title IX
- Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
– Cate Heaney Gary, Relationship Education and Violence Prevention Coordinator
Sources:
- Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center: https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
- Human Rights Campaign: https://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-assault-and-the-lgbt-community
- End Rape on Campus: https://endrapeoncampus.org/new-page-3