Take Care and Take Action this April

As we head into Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) next week, the #MeToo movement continues. Reports of sexual assault and harassment are everywhere: on social media, in the headlines, and in everyday conversation. Hearing about sexual violence as often as we do is hard.

A few important things about this:

• There is no evidence that sexual violence is happening more, but people are talking about it more. This gives us the opportunity to influence those conversations.
• News about sexual violence can be intense—for survivors especially, and for everyone—so it’s important to take care of yourself.
• There are still so many survivors whose stories aren’t heard or told, who aren’t believed, who are ignored. And so many systems that create barriers to healing and justice.
• For people already pushed to the margins—for people of color, for people living with disabilities, for immigrants, for male survivors, for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and/or transgender people, and for others—the uphill climb is even steeper.

So as we head into SAAM, I urge you to take care of yourself. Let’s start April with a renewed commitment to healing and action—and social change.

This year’s SAAM theme is “I Ask,”  which champions the message that asking for consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday interactions. This is just one way we will create a world without sexual violence. It’s never too early to start learning about consent and it doesn't stop when you've become an adult: you can have and update conversations about what you're comfortable with at any age.

Join us in creating a public art project to spread this message. We want to hear what consent means to you, and we want to share it with the world. Then join us at one of our community events in April!

BARCC community events this SAAM

• April 2: Workshop for Survivors: Introduction to the Impact of Trauma
• April 8: Art for BARCC: Sign Making for the Walk for Change
• April 9: Workshop for Survivors: Self-Care for Survivors of Sexual Trauma
• April 16: Workshop for Survivors: Relationships and Connection after Sexual Trauma
• April 23: Workshop for Survivors: Identifying a Therapist
• April 28: BARCC Walk for Change: The Time Is Now

Share any and all of these events on Facebook!