The month of April holds two important awareness topics: sexual assault and child sexual abuse prevention. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) someone is sexually assaulted every two minutes in the United States. Only 30% of these assaults are reported to the police and only 6% of rapists ever spend a day in jail. Every day, four children die as a result of child abuse or neglect; over 75% of victims are less than four years old and 40% never make it to their first birthday.
The additional stress and trauma of living through a pandemic can put individuals, families, and communities at greater risk of both sexual assault and child sexual abuse, as well as other forms of intimate partner violence. Although this April we are being asked to stay physically distant to avoid spreading the coronavirus (COVID-19), there are many online resources and ways to get involved this month to prevent sexual assault and child sexual abuse.
Staying connected to others may look different than it did in past Aprils, but connection to others and hope and working for a world without violence are crucial now.