During the month of April, communities around the nation participate in events in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Rape Crisis Centers throughout the nation agreed upon this month at a meeting of the membership of the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault in the the late 1980's in order to have a collective voice to educate and promote awareness about sexual assault.
The purpose of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to increase the public's understanding about sexual violence in our society. This collective effort can help communities support rape and sexual assault survivors, victims, and their families, as well as the individuals and agencies that provide rape crisis intervention and prevention services throughout the year. It is also a time to encourage the public to take active steps to address sexual violence. The hope is that a month of intensified awareness efforts, combined with the broad spectrum and anti-rape work throughout the year, will bring us closer to ending sexual violence.
During Sexual Assault Awareness Month the Sexual Assault Program of Northern St. Louis County encourages all individuals to wear a teal ribbon to signify their support in ending sexual violence.
Minnesota Sexual Assault Statistics
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On the average, only 10% - 20% of victims report sexual assault (Interagency Task Force, January 2002) |
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6,501 sexual assaults were reported to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in 2001 (MNBCA, 2002) |
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1 in 5 boys will have at least 1 experience of sexual assault before reaching age 18 (Interagency Task Force, January 2002) |
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1 in 4 girls is sexually assaulted before the age of 18 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1999) |
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The average age of entry into prostitution is 14 years old (Family & Children's Service, PRIDE) |
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1 in 3 sexual assault victims is under age 12. 43% are 6 and younger. 34% are ages 7-11 (Snyder & Sickmund, 1999) |
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Rape is the most costly to its victims totaling $127 billion a year (National Center for Victims of Crime, 1998) |
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According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, over 92% of sex offenders currently incarcerated knew their victims (Interagency Task Force, January 2002) |
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Only 2 or 3 of every 1,000 cases of sexual assault are "false reports" (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1998) |