April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The California Women’s Law Center recognizes that sexual violence is a pervasive and widespread problem that impacts women, girls, and families in every community.

Nearly one in five women in the United States have experienced rape or an attempted rape at some point in their lives. One in four girls will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old, and more than a third of women who report being raped before age 18 also experience rape as an adult.

Campus sexual assault continues to be a serious problem: one in five women on campus are sexually assaulted while in college and more than 90% of campus sexual assault victims do not report the attack.

Victims of sexual assault often experience guilt, shame, fear, shock, isolation, and may develop more serious long-term issues such as PTSD, eating disorders and depression.

CWLC recognizes that sexual violence is widespread; it occurs in our homes, schools, and neighborhoods. We are dedicated to ensuring women and girls have access to resources that will help them prevent and respond to violence. We remain focused on all forms of abuse and violence and have created educational and training programs that raise awareness about sexual violence. Click here to learn more about our work in this area.

Please join CWLC and our allies in raising our collective voices to support survivors and increase awareness about the fact that sexual violence is never acceptable.