April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Too often as a society we misinterpret the meaning of sexual violence. A large majority believe sexual assault and rape is perpetrated because of the need to engage in a sexual act; thus a person wearing provocative clothing heightens their risk factor for being a victim of sexual violence.

This is a myth.

Sexual violence is committed with the notion that a person must exert their power and control over another, and the choice of clothing for the victim has nothing to do with the heinous crimes committed against them.

https://www.prettylittlething.us/the-edit/2022/international-womens-day

Show your support for survivors of sexual harassment and abuse by wearing teal (the color of sexual violence prevention) on April 4th and post to your social media. By wearing teal, you are signaling that you support survivors and are a safe person to talk to if they need to reach out.

The Little Black Dress Campaign (LBDC) (April 11th) is a social media project to raise awareness about sexual assault, visibly support survivors, and expose problematic beliefs surrounding sexual violence. We use the symbol of a black dress with the text “my little black dress does not mean yes” to create a visual message.

Why wear denim for sexual assault awareness? (April 26th)

Denim was first seen worn in support of survivors after a rape conviction was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court. Judges said the victim implied consent by wearing tight jeans, and in response, women in the Italian Parliament came to work the next day wearing jeans to stand with the victim in solidarity.

February is Teen Violence Awareness Month

February 7th #wearorange

With 1 in 3 teens impacted by teen dating violence & abuse, and only 33% disclosing these experiences, NAM is working to empower teens to not only report the behavior, but to also learn how to recognize the early signs and red flags that could indicate future abusive behaviors. By educating teens early, it is a goal to prevent domestic violence and abuse before it ever happens with the Violence Education Prevention program that NAM’s Family Violence Center offers. Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, or TDVAM, is the month that NAM amplifies these efforts in alignment with awareness campaigns created by national organizations, such as Love Is Respect. 

Each February, young adults and their loved ones across the nation raise awareness about the issue of teen dating violence through Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). This annual, month-long effort focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts.

Tuesday, February 7th, teens and adults are asked to wear orange in support of Teen Dating Violence Awareness. #wearorange

VIOLENCE PREVENTION EDUCATION

NAM’s Violence Prevention Educator is now hosting programs across various schools in the Klein, Aldine, Cy-Fair, Spring and Tomball school districts.

This program promotes awareness with the FVC’s Dating with Respect presentation and facilitating the FVC’s Youth Empowerment Program, which focuses on teen dating violence prevention.

This program provides teens the tools and knowledge to recognize abuse - with the goal of preventing intimate partner violence and domestic abuse before it happens. 

To learn about healthy/unhealthy relationship behaviors, red flags of abuse and more, watch our tiktok channel today!

@namprevents

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