Safer is hosting Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April, with a theme of “Connected in our Collective Power.” Throughout the month, topics will be centered on raising marginalized voices, identifying paths to healing, and developing strategies for collective care. 

We are encouraging social media engagement for continued education and opportunities to win some great prizes! Follow us on our Instagram at @safercalpoly. 

Help Promote Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month

We would appreciate it if you could share information about Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month with your networks! For your convenience, we’ve put together a media toolkit for your use. 

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Newsletter Blurb 

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Safer is hosting Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April, with a theme of “Connected in our Collective Power.” Throughout the month, topics will be centered on raising marginalized voices, identifying paths to healing, and developing strategies for collective care. The spotlight speaker will be Ignacio Rivera, founder and director of the Heal Project, who will be leading a workshop entitled “Sexual Liberation at the Intersections” on Tuesday, April 13th from 4-5pm. Take Back the Night, an international movement to end sexual violence and one of Safer’s cornerstone events, will take place on April 29. The event is being adapted to a virtual format and will feature programming throughout the day, including healing workshops and a survivor speak out. We are encouraging social media engagement for continued education and opportunities to win some great prizes! Visit Safer’s website for a full list of events and registration information.

Highlighted Events

Take Back The Night

Thursday, April 29th | all day

Take Back the Night, an international movement to end sexual violence and one of Safer’s cornerstone events, will take place on Thursday, April 29. The event is being adapted to a virtual format and will feature programming throughout the day, including healing workshops and a survivor speak-out. 

Trauma-Informed Yoga (11:00AM-12:00PM)  

• Trauma often creates distress in the nervous system and can disconnect survivors from their physical experience. This Trauma-Informed Yoga class will support survivors in safely connecting with their bodies while using poses and the breathe to help ground participants and calm their nervous systems. Please dress comfortably. If you do not have a yoga mat, your carpet or a firm blanket or large towel can be used as a substitute. Please have your camera on if possible and let Jenilee know if you have any injuries or physical limitations. This class will be appropriate for all levels and no previous yoga experience is required. This class will be led by Jenilee Sneed, Ph.D., C-IAYT, psychologist and yoga therapist from the counseling center.
• Register here!

Grounding Workshop for Survivors of Trauma (2:00-3:00PM) 

• Survivors of gender- and power-based violence often experience hyperarousal, which can manifest as anxiety, disassociation, high irritability, difficulty concentrating, or feeling constantly on guard. Grounding techniques are helpful in reconnecting survivors back to their body when they experience distress or panic. This workshop will explore different mental and physical grounding techniques to equip survivors with knowledge on how to guide their attention away from destabilizing thoughts and back to present moment safety. This workshop will be led by Sara Wilson, Campus Advocate at Safer who has a background in trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness.
• Register here!

Survivor Speak Out & Candlelight Vigil (5:00-6:00PM) 

• For this year's Take Back the Night, Safer is putting on a virtual Survivor Speak Out event and candlelight vigil. Survivors of any type of gender- and power-based violence are invited to be in community in a warm, supportive environment that will honor and uplift them. Supporters and loved ones are welcome to join in this powerful event. Contact Caleigh Smith at csmit196@calpoly.edu for more information. 
• Register here!

Social Media Campaign Highlights

Denim Day (Wednesday, April 28 | all day) 

Denim Day is an international campaign that takes place on a Wednesday during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. It evolved out of an Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. Millions of people across the world wear denim on this day to show their support survivors.  

Join our Denim Day campaign by sending a picture of yourself in denim to safer@calpoly.edu, or by posting a picture on your Instagram and tagging @calpolysafer! We will be posting and reposting pictures throughout the day on our Instagram to show our unwavering support of survivors on campus, in our community, and all over the world.  

Don’t Say Ridiculous Sh*t IGTV Miniseries (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of April) 

Throughout this series, you will hear from Safer’s on- and off-campus partners about how sexual violence impacts their communities, how to be an ally to these folx while acknowledging their identities, and how to support survivors of these specific community groups. Some of the organizations you will hear from include- but are not limited to- Mustangs for Recovery, the Disability Resource Center, PRIDE, Black Academic Excellence Center, RISE and Stand Strong. Follow along with our miniseries on our Instagram @calpolysafer!  

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History of Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month

Even before its official declaration, Sexual Assault Awareness Month (also known as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month) was about both awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. Looking at the history of the movement to end sexual violence, it’s clear why: It’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The two work in tandem, and they always have. From the civil rights movement to the founding of the first rape crisis centers to national legislation and beyond, the roots of SAAM run deep” (NSVRC).

If you want to read more about the roots of the movement, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.  

Completed Events

Sexual Liberation? Living at the Intersections of Race, Class and Gender 

Tuesday, April 13th | 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (PST)

Join Safer for Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month as we host our keynote speaker, Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera (Ig-Nah-See-Oh Gee Who-tee-ah She-eye-tee Ree-ve-Rah). Ignacio (they/them) is a cultural sociologist with expertise in sexual trauma and healing for marginalized populations. They identify as a Queer, Trans/Yamoká-hu/Two-Spirit, Black-Boricua, and Taíno activist and their work is influenced by their lived experience of homelessness, poverty, and sexual trauma. 

This workshop will dissect the concept of sexual liberation, freedom and privilege— specifically how it interacts with race, class and gender. What does sexual liberation look like when we often witness a predominantly white, heterosexual, male-dominated, anti-trans culture? How do queers, poor people, transfolks, people of color and women get access to the privilege of desire and exploration? How does oppression show up in our bedrooms and between our legs? Join in this workshop as we walk through and dissect the obstructed path to sexual liberation. 

Download our flyer here!

A Sound Healing Workshop for Survivors of Gender- and Power- Based Violence 

Thursday, April 22nd | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PST) 

Join Safer for a Sexual Assault Awareness Month event designed to provide an alternative mode of healing for survivors. This online 60min workshop offers a trauma-informed space to connect with your senses and to gently tune into self-compassion. Using guided breathwork and nature imagery along with the sounds of singing bowls, this community sound healing is a practice of restorative rest. 

The sounds from alchemy quartz crystal singing bowls can be impactful physically on the mind/body, allowing the brain to enter a peaceful theta (or pre-sleep) state, helping the mind to settle, supporting the parasympathetic nervous system, which gives the body a break from fight-flight-freeze, and helping you access restorative rest.

Download our flyer here!