The Alabama Department of Public Health Office will observe April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Auburn University's Safe Harbor and the Women's Resource Center have co-hosted several events on campus to raise awareness for dating violence and all forms of sexual abuse.
Safe Harbor is a part of Student Counseling Service.
The organization is committed to reducing men's violence against women by increasing awareness about dating/domestic violence, stranger rape, acquaintance rape, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence.
Raising awareness on college campuses is essential because one in four college-age women will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their college careers. At least 80 percent of victims knew their attackers. This is known as acquaintance rape.
"One event we hosted this month was The Red Flag Campaign," said Amye Still, the special projects coordinator for the women's resource center. "This campaign is used to raise awareness for the warning signs of an abusive relationship. We displayed 200 small red flags on the Cater Hall Lawn on April 13 and 14 as a physical reminder of what to watch for in relationships, such as emotional abuse, excessive jealousy, coercion and stalking."
Heather May's Fundamentals of Directing Class presented the theatre production "Scenes not Screams" in the Foy Hall Ball Room April 14 to kick off awareness month.
Several short scenes were displayed about sexual assault and domestic violence.
"We also had a Clothesline Project Display where art students helped us by designing T-shirts with graphic messages and illustrations addressing the problems of violence against women," said Julie James, Safe Harbor staff member. "The purpose is to have a visual display to increase awareness of the impact of violence. We wanted to celebrate a woman's strength to survive and to courageously break the silence that often surrounds this issue."
The Clothesline Project displayed several hundred T-shirts painted by sexual assault survivors and supporters.
They were hung on Cater Hall Lawn April 15 and 16.
"To wrap up the events in April, we hosted our annual Take Back the Night march and rally," said Nancy McDaniel, Safe Harbor staff member. "We marched on campus and then several speakers came to the rally. We had a great turn-out, and I think we educated many students on the affects of sexual assault and dating violence, and what to do when it happens."
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