University plans events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

March 25, 2019 | Events, UToday, Health and Human Services

By Staff

“Start by Believing” will kick off The University of Toledo’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The public awareness campaign was created by End Violence Against Women International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving criminal justice responses to sexual assault.

The UToledo Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness will have “Start by Believing” information tables set up Tuesday, March 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Four Seasons Bistro on Health Science Campus and in the Thompson Student Union Trimble Lounge on Main Campus.

“It’s important to change the way we respond to sexual assaults,” said Dr. Kasey Tucker-Gail, director of the Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness, and associate professor in the School of Justice. “Knowing how to respond is critical; when victims are believed and not questioned with ‘why,’ they can feel safe, supported, and start on a path to healing.”

Events planned throughout April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month include:

The Clothesline Project will return to the University during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Shirts will be on display on Health Science Campus Wednesday, April 3, and on Main Campus Thursday, April 11.

• Wednesday, April 3 — The Clothesline Project, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Four Seasons Bistro and the Health Education Building Lobby on Health Science Campus. This event is a way for those affected by sexual violence to express their emotions through writings and drawings on symbolic T-shirts. The shirts are hung on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the issue of sexual violence.

— One Love Workshop with Rockets Against Sexual Assault, 5 to 7 p.m., International House. One Love is a national leader in educating young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships. This program for UToledo students will focus on signs of escalation in a relationship, how to help a friend, and how to spot red flags of an unhealthy relationship.

• Tuesday, April 9 — T-shirt making for the Clothesline Project, noon to 4 p.m., Health and Human Services Building Room 3005. Anyone who has been affected by violence is welcome to make a T-shirt to honor a loved one or herself/himself; all supplies will be provided.

• Thursday, April 11 — The Clothesline Project, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Centennial Mall (rain location Thompson Student Union).

• Thursday, April 18 — One Love Workshop with Rockets Against Sexual Assault, 5 to 7 p.m., Health and Human Services Building Room 1711.

• Wednesday, April 24 — Denim Day. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear jeans to raise awareness of sexual violence.

— Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Centennial Mall (rain location: Thompson Student Union). RAINN Day is held to raise awareness and educate students about sexual violence on college campuses. Umbrellas are decorated with positive messages in support of sexual assault survivors. RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

For more information on these events, call the Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness at 419.530.2497.