MENTAL HEALTH Awareness Events

The history of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Education Month can be traced back to the 1970s when activists across the country first began to shed light on sexual assault and violence against women. They fought hard to bring awareness to the widespread problem of sexual assault in the U.S.

In 1971, the first rape crisis center in the U.S., Bay Area Women Against Rape, was opened to provide counseling and advocacy to survivors and to educate the community about the prevention of sexual assault. Over the next few years, many groups emerged to raise their voices against sexual assault, and in 1976, the first ‘Take Back the Night’ rally brought increased awareness to the cause as activists organized more public events. But it was not until 1994 that Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, the first legislation requiring law enforcement agents to treat domestic violence as a crime, not a private matter.

National Sexual Assault Awareness and Education Month was founded by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (N.S.V.R.C.) in April 2001. It was started to increase awareness about the menace that is sexual assault and to encourage and empower individuals to take steps to prevent these kinds of assaults and abuses in their communities. The N.S.V.R.C. is the leading non-profit organization providing tools and resources to help individuals and communities prevent sexual violence. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) also support a network of more than a thousand rape crisis centers.