Building Safe Online Spaces for SAAM
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center is continuing to build upon their campaign focusing on online sexual violence. Especially within the past two years where technology has been the center of connecting us to our loved ones or getting us back to a sense of normalcy before the pandemic, it leaves the door open for people to abuse these online spaces. This year the campaign will continue to expand upon the premise that “We Can Build Safe Online Spaces” along with a call to action: “Building Safe Spaces Online Together.” With 41% of Americans having personally experienced harassing behavior online and 66% having witnessed harassing behavior online, according to the Pew Research Center, it is clear that this issue needs to be addressed head on.
Online sexual abuse can be any type of sexual harassment, exploitation, or abuse that takes place through screens. The Pew Research Center defines online harassment with six distinct behaviors including offensive name-calling, purposeful embarrassment, stalking, physical threats, harassment over a sustained period of time, and sexual harassment. Common examples of this are sending someone unwelcome communication about sex, performing sexual acts on webcam without the consent of everyone involved or in inappropriate settings (like during an online class or online work meeting), and sharing private images or videos without the consent of everyone involved (also known as revenge porn or nonconsensual pornography). Many people assume that sexual assault prevention and awareness are modern concepts, but these types of campaigns can be traced decades back into history.
Although the National Sexual Violence Resource Center was not launched until 2000, activists had been organizing to bring awareness to sexual assault since the 1940s and 1950s. Movements for social change and equality began gaining traction during the civil rights movement and were spearheaded by Black women and women of color. This support continued into the 70s where support for survivors increased and the first rape crisis center was founded in San Diego. In the years that followed, activists pushed for legislation and funding that would support survivors which lead to the Violence Against Women Act to be passed in 1993. SAAM was first celebrated in 2001 after various organizations were polled about preferred symbols, color, and a month to hold all related events during. A teal ribbon and the month of April, which Sexual Assault Awareness Week was already held, was selected and SAAM was born.
The SAAM campaign provides various ways in which people can participate and share their support throughout the month. First is the 30-day SAAM Challenge which is a calendar filled with prompts for each day of April to show your support. Activities include writing a letter of support to survivors and spelling out SAAM with creative elements, like flowers, and posting it. Organizations can also participate by hosting an event highlighting a topic such as an Online Consent and Boundaries workshop. For more information, please visit the official National Sexual Violence Resource Center website here.
Resources
Cleveland
Asian Services in Action, http://www.asiaohio.org/ | Phone: 216-881-0330 | 3631 PERKINS AVE., STE. 2A-W, CLEVELAND, OH 44114
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, https://www.oaesv.org | Phone: (216) 658-1381 | 6111 Oak Tree Boulevard, Suite 140, Independence, OH 44131-2585
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center | Call/text 216-619-6192 or 440-423-2020 | 2937 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor, Cleveland, OH 44113
Columbus
ASHA-Ray of Hope, www.asharayofhope.org | Telephone #: 614-326-2121 Helpline #: 614-565-2918 | 4900 Reed Rd #300, Columbus, OH 43220
Equality Ohio, Equality Ohio – Ohio's Moment for Equality | Phone: (614) 224-0400 | Trans Ohio, TransOhio | PO Box 442, Burton, OH 44021
Asian American Community Services, https://www.aacsohio.org/ | Phone: (614) 220-4023 | 4700 Reed Rd, Suite B, Columbus, OH 43220
Ohio Hispanic Coalition, http://ohiohispaniccoalition.org/ | Phone: 614-459-6566 | 1535 Bethel Road Columbus, OH 43220