Sexual Assault Awareness Month aims to raise awareness about sexual assault, encourage survivor support and unity, celebrate consent and ask communities to think about their roles in violence prevention.

Chico State’s Safe Place is participating in this month-long event and is offering multiple activities each week. The activities, events and messages focus on the crucial role that a person can play in violence prevention.

The themes of each week are,

Week one: Survivor support

Week two: Consent

Week three: Bystander intervention

Week four: Activism

The Day of Action that was on April 4 was a way for individuals and communities to come together to kick off sexual assault awareness month.

Chico State’s Safe Place created the hashtag #ChicoStateSAAM for students to show their support as well as post photos and information of the events happening on campus.

This year’s campaign is called “Engaging New Voices.” The effort is focusing on involving coaches, parents, faith leaders, Greek Life and bystanders in sexual assault prevention and intervention.

This year’s campaign is dedicated to educating these people with postcards, events, activities and information in the hopes that the new voices will start talking about sexual assault prevention.

One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. And over 90 percent of those who are assaulted do not report it, helping rape become the most under-reported crime with 63 percent of rapes not being reported to the police.

Chico State’s Safe Place’s events and activities are a way for students to become actively involved with sexual assault awareness month and its efforts to help others become more aware of the violence many face.

“It’s important for students to be involved with sexual assault awareness month,” second-year student Alejandro Chavez said.

“I think especially because consent and respect aren’t stressed enough for some people growing up,” Chavez said. “Sexual assault is a big issue for colleges, so giving it more attention for a month could help in the long run.”

Victoria Rohrer can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.