2021 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Theme: Start by Believing
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and HelpLine Sexual Assault Response Network (SARN) is promoting the message, “Start by Believing” (SBB), through providing education on appropriate responses to sexual assault disclosures. Affirming responses lead to improved access to support resources for Survivors while ending the cycle of silence.
Created by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI), SBB challenges the victim-blaming messages which lead to feelings of guilt, shame and isolation for Survivors. Instead, SBB paves the way for Survivors to pursue healing and justice, coupled with support from their loved one and their communities.
Read more about SAAM in the official press release here.
2021 HelpLine SAAM Events
Please join us for one or more of the following events as we celebrate SAAM in April:
- April 1 – 30, 2021 – HelpLine will feature a month-long SAAM social media campaign on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels – @helplinedelmor and @HelpLinePrevention – and highlight resources, information and actions you can take in support of SBB.
- Monday, April 12, 7 p.m. – The City of Delaware will proclaim April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Months, while acknowledge the Day of Silence – a day of awareness that brings attention to the harassment and bullying faced by LGBTQ youth in schools – to affirm the prevention work that HelpLine delivers to schools in Delaware and Morrow counties.
- Monday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. – The City of Upper Sandusky City Council will proclaim April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Months.
- Tuesday, April 20, 6 p.m. – HelpLine SARN Journaling Workshop. To register, contact Nora Flanagan at nflanagan@helplinedelmor.org (note: location disclosed upon registration)
HelpLine SAAM Campaign Materials (for download)
HelpLine Sexual Assault Response Network (SARN) Services
SARN advocates are available to assist survivors at the hospital and with law enforcement immediately following an assault and can help connect a survivor to the resources at HelpLine and in our community. SARN offers:
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- A free, 24-hour information, referral and crisis line call 1.800.684.2324 or text helpline to 898211
- Individual support at hospitals and law enforcement agencies
- Survivors of sexual assault workshops
- One-on-one crisis intervention and advocacy
- Healing workshops for survivors & their support people
- Annual Retreat
- Sexual assault prevention and education
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Click here to learn more about SARN services.
Information and resources from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
To join in the SAAM campaign, we encourage you to share these images below from the NSVRC with your personal networks on social media. Use the hashtags: #SAAM and #HelpLineSARN . To learn more about the national SAAM campaign theme, visit: https://www.nsvrc.org/saam
