*Resources below*
Sexual violence affects millions. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 5 women in the U.S. has experienced completed or attempted rape in her lifetime. These aren’t just numbers—they’re our sisters, our colleagues, our neighbors, our clients.
Every April, organizations, advocates, survivors, and allies across the country come together to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)—a time to spotlight the pervasive issue of sexual violence and recommit ourselves to prevention, healing, and justice.
At the Conference on Crimes Against Women, we know that acknowledging this month is not just symbolic—it’s essential. Because behind every statistic is a survivor. And behind every survivor is a story that matters.The theme of the 2025 Conference on Crimes Against Women is “The Ripple Effect.” And there is no better example of that ripple than SAAM. When we raise awareness, we’re not just changing minds—we’re changing systems. We’re inspiring survivors to speak out. We’re equipping professionals with the tools to respond. We’re teaching communities how to prevent violence before it starts. A single conversation can lead to a call for help. A single post can lead to policy change. A single training can save a life.
For law enforcement, advocates, and first responders—the attendees of CCAW—the statistics aren’t abstract. This is daily work. It’s the weight and the responsibility of showing up, over and over, for survivors who have been ignored, disbelieved, or failed by the system.
Recognizing SAAM is a commitment to ongoing education, empathy, and advocacy. It’s a reminder that the work doesn’t stop in April.
It means asking ourselves:
- Are we providing trauma-informed care in every interaction?
- Are we creating spaces where survivors feel seen and safe?
- Are we holding perpetrators accountable?
- Are we listening to survivors’ voices—especially those from marginalized communities who often go unheard?
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a passionate newcomer, SAAM is your invitation to engage. Attend a local event. Share resources. Speak out against victim-blaming. Support the people and programs doing this critical work. And most importantly—never underestimate the power of showing up. Your presence matters. At CCAW. In your agency. In your community.
REGISTER HERE
Resources from CCAW programs on Sexual Assault:
Click each title to access the resource.
CCAW Workshops:
The upcoming 2025 Conference on Crimes Against Women will be offering 30 workshops covering sexual assault. Click the link below to view each workshop:
ICCR Webinars:
Click the title to view the webinar.
Presented by Ruth Perrin & Anya Lynn-Alesker, ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence.
Presented by Fatima Jayoma & Miranda Gonzalez, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Presented by Maggy McGiffert, M.A. and Julie Otomi, Ph.D.
Presented by John Wilkinson, Aequitas
ICCR Roll Call:
Click the view the training.
Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Rape culture refers to the set of societal attitudes and beliefs that normalize sexual violence. By recognizing how these myths and misperceptions perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes, victim blaming, objectification, and failure to protect vulnerable populations we can challenge implicit biases that adversely affect victim’s interaction with law enforcement. Furthermore, by understanding the impact of trauma on the brain and promoting advocacy collaboration, law enforcement can build rapport, increase victim participation, and enhance investigations thus improving outcomes in pursuing justice.
PCAW Episodes:
Click the title to listen to the episode.
Ever wondered how our justice system can better support victims of sexual assault and domestic violence? Join us as Fara Gold, attorney advisor for the Office on Violence Against Women, breaks down the Department of Justice’s groundbreaking framework designed to enhance the prosecution of these critical cases. This episode promises valuable insights into building collaborative relationships among prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates, ensuring a trauma-informed approach that treats victims with the utmost humanity and respect.
We’ll uncover why building trust early in the prosecutorial process is paramount and explore a comprehensive guide developed by 120 experts to strengthen community confidence and offender accountability. By dissecting societal misconceptions and the gender biases ingrained in our legal system, we highlight the necessity of treating victims with fairness and objectivity. Fara shares poignant examples and actionable strategies for overcoming these challenges, revealing how prosecutors can better meet and support victims from the onset.
Finally, we navigate the intricate landscape of prosecuting complex cases, such as those involving sexual assault by private prisoner transport officers. Fara emphasizes the significance of corroborative evidence and expert testimony in addressing trauma-induced inconsistencies in victim accounts. We also discuss the pivotal roles of victim specialists within the judicial system, offering a clearer understanding of their essential support in trial preparations. This episode is a must-listen for anyone committed to advancing justice and ensuring a compassionate, trauma-informed legal process.
In the time that it takes to read this episode overview, at least one person in the United States of America will be sexually assaulted. The victim will likely be a woman who could be as young as 12 years old.* Sexual violence against women has elevated to a crisis that we can no longer ignore, live with, or deny. It is not only the crisis of our time, but also a matter of time before yet another life is absorbed into the statistical reminder that women are not safe from sexual predators at home, while on vacation, maybe not anywhere at all. Sexual violence against women remains the weapon of choice for intimate partners, serial offenders, military invasions, and many others who believe it is their right to victimize women through sexual dominance. Crimes of rape and sexual assault require more than just our full attention, they require an understanding of the core issues related to gender-based violence and the application of strategies that both hold offenders accountable and offer justice to survivors.
To address this crisis, this episode explores the current state of violence against women as well as proven strategies to advance the investigation, prosecution, and prevention of the crimes of rape and sexual assault. Our guest, retired chief of police Tom Tremblay, has dedicated his entire career to improving law enforcement responses to the crimes of rape and sexual assault by developing trauma-informed teams of professionals who pursue justice for survivors. Now a world-renown expert in these investigations, he works as an advisor and trainer for police, prosecutors, advocates, higher education, the military, and the government/private sector. Our conversation reveals the current state of sexual violence against women in this country, including the startling statistics of its prevalence, its root causes, and solutions for investigation, pursuing justice, and prevention.
Disasters – both natural and human-influenced – increase risks for sexual violence against women, children and men with an estimated 1-in-5 women and 1-in-17 men impacted by these actions. That risk is further elevated for vulnerable populations including BIPOC and children living with their abusers. In response to these startling statistics, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) developed its first guide to preventing and responding to sexual violence within disasters in 2008. Recently updated and expanded, the NSVRC Disasters Guidebook, “Sexual Violence In Disasters ” (aka “the guide”) offers thought-provoking ideas and recommendations on disaster preparedness that can both prevent and address experiences of disaster-related sexual violence. In this episode we explore the guide, the expansive and troubling sexual violence continuum within disasters and instances of sexual violence found within the calamities of Hurricane Katrina, the COVID pandemic and the current war in Ukraine with expert Jennifer Grove, Prevention Director at NSVRC. Ms. Grove has worked in the sexual violence prevention movement for over 24 years conducting community-based domestic violence and sexual assault programs and the national prevention work of the NSVRC by providing training and resources to sexual assault coalitions, state departments of health, local community programs, and other organizations working to develop, implement, and evaluate sexual violence prevention strategies. Listeners are encouraged to review the guide in detail on the NSVRC website.
In 1998, Rita Smith had her very first conversation with leaders of the National Football League (NFL) about the role the league can play in addressing domestic violence and sexual assault offenses committed by its players. It took 15 years, numerous allegations of intimate partner abuse against football players, and a lot of persistence from Smith and others for the league to take action. The turning point was the Ray Rice incident of 2014. Since that time, the NFL has retained Rita Smith as a Senior Advisor and together they have worked to not only bring awareness to the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault but also to hold football players accountable for their actions in meaningful ways. What’s more, with its worldwide following, the NFL has an opportunity to usher in a game-changing culture shift as a role model for healthy relationships, equitable opportunities, and community safety. In this episode, we explore with Senior Advisor to the NFL Rita Smith what’s changed and what it will take to coach America’s most popular sports league from the sidelines to the all-star champions of the movement to end domestic violence and sexual assault.
Rita Smith has been a Senior Advisor to the National Football League since September 2014 working with them on their efforts to address domestic violence and sexual assault. Ms. Smith began working in the violence against women space as a crisis line advocate in a shelter for battered women and their children in Colorado in 1981. Later, she served as the Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence for nearly 22 years.
National Resources:
Click each title to view the document/resource.
RAINN is committed to supporting survivors of sexual violence, cultivating communities of anti-sexual violence activism, and promoting policies that deliver justice and hold perpetrators accountable.
Since July 27th, 1994, RAINN has answered the call on the National Sexual Assault Hotline and supported 5 million survivors and their loved ones.
Call the hotline: 1-800-656-4673
NSVRC provides research & tools to advocates working on the frontlines to end sexual harassment, assault, and abuse with the understanding that ending sexual violence also means ending racism, sexism, and all forms of oppression.
