April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). While awareness is a fantastic place to start, it takes more than awareness to make positive, tangible change. It takes action. The good news is, there are so many people out there wanting to do more. Here are four action items you can do to bring SAAM beyond awareness and into action:

Give Your Time, Money, or Talents to Organizations Doing the Work

There are many organizations across Chicago, Illinois, and the U.S. that work alongside, learn from, and empower survivors of sexual harm. They all have communities of staff and volunteers who are working every day to prevent and respond to sexual violence and need support to provide high-quality, survivor-centered services. Because over half of women and nearly one-third of men experience sexual harm involving physical contact at some point in their lives, many staff members at these organizations are survivors themselves. A great way to make a difference is to get involved in a community organization by donating money or volunteering your time.  Your financial support ensures we can provide services to survivors at no cost to them, and have trained, trauma-informed staff on our team. Many organizations have volunteer programs and governing boards, but you can also offer up your own unique talents or services, like graphic design, social media, or event planning. The YWCA and Resilience also train Volunteer Medical and Legal Advocates to assist survivors in hospitals and accept applications throughout the year.  

Visit CAASE’s website if you are interested in donating or getting involved with our work specifically. Each summer, the Race for CAASE team participates in the Strides for Peace Race Against Gun Violence. We invite you to join the team to fundraise and run, walk, or roll this year on June 6!  

Start Conversations About Sexual Harm With Your Friends and Community 

SAAM serves as an annual reminder to call people in and give them an opportunity to start conversations about these important issues. Having these conversations is vital because stigma and shame allow sexual harm to thrive. Speaking out against sexual harm – and oppressions like racism, sexism, transphobia, and more that fuel it – that you hear about in your own community or in pop culture, is powerful, and breaks that stigma. We hear sentiments like these all the time: “Did you see what they were wearing?”, “They’re just looking for attention, I bet they made the whole thing up.”, “X has always been so nice to me, there’s no way they assaulted someone.”, “Boys will be boys!”, “She should have known that would happen if she drank that much.” Statements like these take the blame from perpetrators and place it on the victim. Next time you witness victim blaming, consider pointing out the problem to that person, or start a conversation about why our culture is so quick to protect perpetrators and dismiss survivors. 

Many organizations and groups both locally and nationally hold events in honor of SAAM. Get a small group together (friends, coworkers, classmates, a club) and invite them to not only participate in these awareness days but also use the days to start conversations about what they mean. You can talk about rape culture or victim blaming that you see in the media, and what actions you can take to combat it in your own life. Support these events and use them as an introduction to this movement for folks who are not already familiar.  

• • Denim Day is an annual event, this year being honored on Wednesday, April 24. Denim Day has been celebrated on the last Wednesday of April to bring attention to victim blaming in our culture. All you need to do is wear denim and invite others to do the same if you’d like. If you post pictures to social media, be sure to tag CAASE (@theCAASE on all platforms).  

• • Standing Silent Witness is a visual demonstration hosted by Resilience each April. Participants gather at Daley Plaza silently for one hour wearing t-shirts with stories and messages protesting sexual violence and rape culture. Join us at Standing Silent Witness 2024 on Friday, April 19, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. 

• • Join CAASE for one of our monthly events during SAAM. Surviving the Mic: Virtually Together is an online gathering space for survivors of sexual harm and those who support them. Let’s Chat Over Lunch is our monthly virtual community forum where we discuss current cultural events, media, and news headlines related to sexual harm and/or social injustice. Learn more about these events and others on our website. 

Support Policies and Legislation That Prevent Sexual Harm and Support Survivors 

Being politically engaged is a powerful way to advocate for survivors and make an impact in ending sexual harm. This could include voting, calling in your friends, family, and community to get involved; flagging bills that need our attention, and supporting elected officials who are prioritizing anti-gender-based violence in their work. 

CAASE’s policy team regularly shares our legislative priorities. You can stay up to date on these issues by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media. We count on our community to take part in our calls to action such as sharing important news and updates and filing witness slips. CAASE’s Policy Team advocates for local and statewide legislation and policies that give more options to survivors, hold systems and perpetrators accountable, and prevent violence and harm from occurring in the first place. 

We also know no social justice movement happens in a vacuum. We cannot end sexual harm if we do not prioritize undoing layers of oppression that survivors too often face like racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, and homophobia, because they are inextricably connected with the fight to end sexual harm. It’s why we vehemently support the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-racism work. So, the policies and legislation we support must be mindful of and proactive about fighting these oppressions. 

Know the Work Is Ongoing and Commit to Staying Informed and Intersectional 

Ending sexual harm does not begin and end with SAAM. This work is ongoing and sustaining your involvement is key. If you yourself are not a survivor, make sure to center survivors in this work by making space and uplifting survivor voices when space is not being made. The movement to end sexual harm cannot happen if we don’t uplift other movements that directly impact it as well, such as racial equality, disability justice, reproductive justice, and homelessness. Remember that anyone can be a survivor, and survivors with disabilities, or of different races and ethnicities, sexualities, genders, ages, and backgrounds face even more challenges in being believed, accessing resources, and navigating systems they may need because of systemic discrimination. Continuing to learn and being committed to this work is constant and ongoing. Laws change. Attitudes and norms shift. At times it may feel like we slide backwards. But overall progress will be made when we stand together, unwavering in our collective vision for a future free from sexual assault and harm. 

Whether you are a survivor, ally, or new to the anti-sexual harm movement, we all have a role to play in staying informed and educated and doing all we can to prevent sexual harm from happening. It’s important to be involved in sustainable ways that work for your own life and circumstances. Take any or all of these action steps and apply them to your own life and work. Awareness is just the first step on a path toward a future without sexual harm. Thank you for wanting to take that step! 

CAASE published this piece on April 8, 2024. It was authored by Lizzy Springer and edited by Madeleine Behr. Learn more about our staff here.