Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) - an annual campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.

TW: This blog post includes the mention of sexual violence.

April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) - an annual campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. As a psychologist working predominantly with people who have experienced sexual violence, I felt compelled to shine a light on SAAM, and share support for people who have experienced sexual violence, or perhaps are currently experiencing it amid this global pandemic.

For many survivors, social distancing limits access to services, medical care, and social supports. We only have to look at the headlines in the media to know that social unrest and crisis are linked to an increased risk of sexual assault and abuse. In some headlines, domestic violence has been deemed the second, silent pandemic of the lockdown.

Sexual violence is a common and serious public health concern affecting the health and wellbeing of millions of people throughout the world. For some context - in New Zealand, one out of three girls may be sexually abused before she turns 16 years old, and approximately one in five women experience a serious sexual assault (Help, 2020). Women and girls are most likely to be victims of crimes of interpersonal violence such as rape and sexual abuse by the people closest to them – intimate partners, family members, and other trusted people in their daily environment (Mendelsohn et al., 2011). This is a worldwide phenomenon that crosses the lines of race, ethnicity, nationality and national origin, class, religion, age, and sexual orientation.

From several decades of research, revealed has been the chronic and debilitating biological, psychological, and social ramifications of such interpersonal trauma. Individuals who have experienced sexual violence are at an increased risk for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, suicidal tendencies, eating disorders, self-harming behaviours, and substance abuse disorders.

So if you are reading this, please feel most welcome to access the below helplines and supports, or please pass them on to anyone who may benefit. Please also check in on your friends and loved ones, especially if they are in vulnerable situations.

Helplines:

Rape Crisis: 0800 88 33 00

Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843

Where to get help:

If you live in New Zealand and have experienced sexual violence, you may be able to access support services (such as 1-1 therapy) through ACC’s Sensitive Claims contract. Please go to the following website for more information: https://www.findsupport.co.nz/