Sexual Assault Awareness Month Events

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) & Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM)

Wear Jeans on April 27th for Denim Day

Denim Day is in honor of a young Italian woman who was raped by her driving instructor. He was convicted, but he appealed and the judges overturned the conviction. The judges decided that "...because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape, but consensual sex."

Denim Day was created as a message in protest of victim-blaming. We need to start by believing survivors and not blame them for the sexual assault that someone else committed against them.

Join us in wearing jeans and consider making a donation to Hope House via Facebook or Paypal. Take a photo of yourself wearing jeans and post it on Facebook or Instagram with the reason why you're wearing jeans. Please tag us @hopehousescw. Thank you for your support!

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED-WILL BE RESCHEDULED

You're invited! Tammy DeGarmo, Executive Director of 16:49, will be presenting on what communities can do to help address and prevent youth homelessness; how trauma and abuse impact youth homelessness; details about the creation of 16:49; their programs and services, including structure and funding; plus lessons learned along the way.

Other Date-Specific Displays and Events

April 1: Accessorize in Blue Day! On April 1, join Hope House in accessorizing in blue for Child Abuse Prevention Month. Blue is the color for child abuse awareness. Wear blue nail polish, wristbands, face paint, socks, etc. and share that you’re wearing blue to show that you want all kids and families to feel supported and thrive. Share photos on Instagram or Facebook and tag @hopehousescw.
April 4-8: Stop by the Schwalbach Art Gallery on the UW-Platteville Baraboo Campus any time between 8am-5pm during the week of April 4th to view the powerful, What Were You Wearing? Sexual Assault Survivor Exhibit. This art exhibit includes experiences of sexual assault survivors paired with clothing that matches the description of what they were wearing during the assault. See the Facebook event here.
April 5: Wear Teal for the SAAM Day of Action. Please wear teal, the color of sexual assault awareness, to signal that you support survivors, and are a safe person to talk to if they need to reach out. Share photos on Instagram or Facebook and tag @hopehousescw.
April 12: Stewards of Children in Lodi - free training that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Learn more, including how to register, on our Events page.
April 14-30: For Child Abuse Prevention Month, Hope House has a blue pinwheel display on our front yard with yard signs. Stop by and take one home. Each pinwheel has a card with a quote about kids on it with Hope House information.

Month-Long Activities

#30DaysofSAAM on Instagram: Join Hope House in participating in the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s #30daysofSAAM. Each day in April, they’ll provide an open-ended prompt that participants respond to with a photo, collage, illustration, digital art, video, or other original content. You have a chance to win prizes every day you participate. Watch what Hope House posts on our Instagram page @hopehousescw.
SAAM Resource Tables: Will you be visiting any of the locations below in April? Look for Hope House's Sexual Assault Awareness Month resource tables with lots of great information and materials you can take home!
- UW-Platteville Baraboo Campus (near the What Were You Wearing? Sexual Assault Survivor Exhibit in the art gallery), Gunderson Moundview Hospital and Clinics in Friendship, and the public libraries in Reedsburg, Mauston, Portage, and Montello
Check out our op-ed on our our Medium site to learn more about building safe online spaces.
Listen for our radio PSAs on Wisconsin 106.1, WRJC 92.1, and MAX FM 99.7.
Check out our Sexual Assault Advocates' #TalkAboutItTuesday videos on Facebook in honor of SAAM. Watch this 5-minute video on supporting male sexual assault survivors and this 4-minute video all about Sexual Assault Nurse Exams.
Teal and blue sashes around trees will be in multiple locations throughout our 5-county service area, including Mauston, Adams, Reedsburg, Portage, Baraboo, Sauk Prairie, Lodi, Columbus, Rio, Montello, and Westfield. These sashes have signs attached to them that bring awareness of sexual assault and child abuse and of Hope House services.

TV Graphics

Do you have TVs at your workplace, school, or church? Check out our wide variety of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month images in English and Spanish for you to download and use during the month of April!

Bitmoji Classrooms

Sexual Assault Awareness Month bitmoji classroom for teens

Child Abuse Prevention Month bitmoji classroom for adults

Hope House's education team has updated our bitmoji classrooms for students, parents/guardians, school staff, and youth service providers to explore! Inspired by librarians and educators, we made two classrooms for April. If you're not familiar with bitmoji classrooms, each image you click on takes you to a different link - even the water bottle and colored pencils! We encourage you to share these classrooms on your websites or social media platforms!

Sexual Assault Awareness Month bitmoji classroom with resources for teens, including supportive resources, self-care ideas, and YA books!
Child Abuse Prevention Month bitmoji classroom with resources for parents/guardians and those that work with K-5 students, including supportive resources, self-care ideas, children’s picture books, and books for adults!

Resources

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

The NSVRC is the go-to resource for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Their national theme this year is Building Safe Online Spaces Together.

Check out their site for graphics, blog posts, survivor resources, social media posts, the #30DaysofSAAM Instagram contest, coloring pages, and more.

Start By Believing

Is a public awareness campaign designed by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) to change the way we respond to rape and sexual assault in our communities. Check out their website to make your personal commitment and to view their many campaign resources, such as printed materials, articles, talking points, proclamations, brochures, and promotional materials.

Flip the Switch

Champion Gymnast, Aly Raisman announced a partnership with Darkness to Light through the Flip the Switch campaign. This campaign calls on all adults involved in youth sports to complete Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® training, with the online training offered at no cost. Learn more here.

Stop It Now!

Stop It Now! prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. Educate yourself and your community by downloading their materials and read about ways to get involved with prevention efforts!

National Child Abuse Prevention Month from Child Welfare Information Gateway

The Child Welfare Information Gateway's National Child Abuse Prevention Month website has their outreach toolkit, sample messages, graphics, and more!