Sexual Assault Awareness Month- May 2021

May is Sexual Assault Prevention Month. Ontario recognizes this month is a time to raise awareness about the devastating impact of sexual assault and focus on the measures being taken to stop violence and support survivors

Since the province-wide lockdown due to COVID-19, there have reports of increased incidents of sexual violence across the province against young children and both women and men.

Survivors of sexual abuse often experience forms of rage, and experience low self-esteem and poor body image that can lead to addiction and self-harming behavior, while others may experience feelings of shame and anger which can lead to difficulty with intimacy.

“Throughout the month of May, SAVIS will be honouring Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) through a series online engagement. Follow us on social media to check out our posts on survivorship and advocacy and tune into our live public education and book club sessions on prevention and healing. We are also thrilled to announce the launch of our very first SAAM activism sticker contest.  Submit any artwork that shares with the world the importance of standing up to sexual violence, and your work might be turned in a peel back sticker! Together, we will not stand by, but stand up to sexual violence in Halton!”