The Cornell University student organization RISEUP and The Sophie Fund on April 1 launched a social media campaign to promote Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
Throughout April, the organizations are posting infographics on their social media platforms about resources to contact for help, behaviors to recognize, plans of action, general statistics about sexual assault, and more.
“Sexual assault is not only very prevalent, but extremely underreported,” said Harmony Guan ’28, head of RISEUP’S mental health committee. “By spreading awareness of the long-lasting impacts of sexual assault, we aim to reduce the widespread stigma and encourage victims to report assaults and feel comfortable enough to share their stories.”
The campaign highlights that sexual violence affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, and every nine minutes if that victim is a child.
One out of every six American women and one out of every 33 American men have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime, RAINN reports.
Sexual violence on college campuses is pervasive, with female students at three times greater risk of assault than women in the general population. According to RAINN, 13 percent of all college students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. Among undergraduate women alone, the figure is 26.4 percent.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that sexual violence impacts health in many ways and can lead to short and long-term physical and mental health problems.
Guan said that RISEUP, an acronym for Realizing Integration, Support, and Education for Underserved Populations, believes that it is important to discuss how the barriers of accessing help for sexual assault survivors disproportionately affects certain communities.
She said the campaign highlights communities that face difficulties in receiving the help they need, advancing a clearer understanding of the aspects of the healthcare system that need improvement.
Click here to follow the campaign on RISEUP’s Instagram, or here to follow on The Sophie Fund’s Instagram or Facebook page.
Check out the Sophie Fund’s Sexual Assault page: National, state, and local resources to learn about sexual assault and how to deal with it.
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