Why We Can’t Look Away: The Importance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the Progress We’ve Made
- Stephen Carter
- Apr 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 13
AI created image of a Woman experiencing a stress response as a result of trauma
In the U.S., April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) —It's a time we can remind ourselves about how prevelent sexual assault is, how we can combat it, and how healing is possible for survivors.
2025 marks the 25th anniversary of SAAM. This year's theme, “25 Years Stronger: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
Over these 25 years, we've had growing world-wide awareness of sexual violence and related abuse. While there's been legal and cultural strides, much work remains ahead. For far too many women, men, and children assault and abuse remain a reality that results in emotional trauma, physical pain, and even death.
Sexual Assault - A Far Wider Proble Than We May Realize
Sexual assault is one of the most underreported violent crimes. Studies tell us that roughly 60% to 75% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police. Why? Fear of retailation and shame. With more cultural awareness and legal system action, this is slowly changing.
When we think of sexual assault awareness, there can be a tendency to focus on situations where there's a one time act. In fact, sexual abuse has multiple facets including human trafficking, ongoing abuse by a family member or authority figure such as a teacher, religious leader, or even a medical provider.
Over the past two years (specifically 2024–2025 and early 2026), human trafficking sting operations in Florida alone have resulted in well over 1,000 arrests. These operations, often led by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and partnering agencies, focus on "Johns" (those soliciting prostitution), human traffickers, and online child sexual predators. Those arrested have included lawyers, police officers, and other so-called "upstanding" professionals. Hundreds of young victims have been recovered and returned to their families as a result of these operations.
The Power of Awareness
Awareness serves three crucial purposes:
It validates survivors. It tells survivors, "You are seen, you are believed, and you are not alone."
It educates the public. Many people still do not understand that consent is a clear "yes," not the absence of a "no." Awareness programs highlight that incapacitation and lack of physical resistance don't indicate agreement. They also highlight the fact that a majority of assaults are committed by someone known to the survivor.
It mobilizes prevention. Awareness initiatives send a message to potential abusers that they'll be accountable while also reminding everyone to be aware of the risks.
Progress in the Past Five Years
Thanks to campaigns such as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the last five years have seen legal and societal victories for survivors.
1. The End of the Rape Kit Backlog (Legislative Action)
For decades, hundreds of thousands of rape kits—containing critical DNA evidence—sat untested on police evidence room shelves, denying survivors justice and allowing serial offenders to remain free. In the past five years, we have seen a U.S. federal and state push to end this. Federally, The Debbie Smith Act of 2023 was reauthorized with bipartisan support, re-upping funding for crime labs to process DNA evidence. A number of states also enacted pro-survivor legislation related to rape kit processing.
2. Closing Legal Loopholes
While spousal rape is illegal in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, a number of states have legal loopholes that treat spousal rape differently than non-spousal rape. Several states have recently worked to repeal these loopholes, including Maryland in 2023, and California and Idaho in 2021. One reason someone might not report an assault is because he or she was under the influence or in possession of a prohibited drug or was under age for alcohol possession. In April, 2025, Mississippi enacted legislation that provides prosecution immunity for certain drug and alcohol misdemeanors when sexual assault survivors and witnesses report the crime.
3. Systemic Change in Institutions
In the military, long criticized for mishandling assaults, the establishment of the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) in the various services, has changed how investigations and prosecutions of sexual assault cases are handled. Prior to recent reforms, commanders had significant control over whether a case went to trial. These OSTC sections now operates independently, taking the decision out of the chain of command to ensure professional, unbiased investigations and - when appropriate - prosecutions occur.
U.S. Arrest Statistics for Rape
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program aggregates statistics of reported crime from local police agencies across the country.
The UCR summary for 2023, tells us there were 127,216 reported rapes in 2023, a 9% increase from 2022. *That number dropped by 5.2% for 2024. Full reports for 2025 will be available in the fall of 2026. Even with the decrease, the FBI report tells us a rape occurs on average every 4.1 minutes.
Looking over the past five years of reports, there is a trend upward for UCR data. This is likely due to increased reporting, thanks in part to federal, state, and local efforts such as the SAAM initiative.
The Path Forward
The past five years have proven that change is possible. We have passed laws to test rape kits, protected survivors who report assaults, and restructured how the military services handle these crimes.
But the statistics and reported tragic cases tell us that awareness alone is not enough. We need:
Sustained funding for crime labs to test DNA.
Continued legislative action to ensure statutes of limitations don't expire before justice is found.
Community intervention to stop crimes before they start.
As we observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month, it's a perfect time to move beyond awareness to action. Contact your state and federal legislators and ask them to prioritize funding for laws and programs that support survivors and hold offenders accountable.
Where to Learn More
To get involved, seek help, or understand the issues better, here are three resources to get you started:
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, Website: https://rainn.org) is the U.S.'s largest anti-sexual violence organization. In the U.S., the 800-656-HOPE (4673) is the National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by RAINN. It provides free, confidential, 24/7 support, connecting callers with trained staff at local service providers for help, resources, and advice. Support is also available via online chat at hotline.rainn.org or by texting "HOPE" to 64673. Use Google or other search sites to identify similar resources if you're outside of the U.S.
NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center): The primary coordinators of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. They provide toolkits, research, and prevention tips for individuals and communities. To read their informative "25 Years Stronger - Looking Back, Moving Forward" article, visit https://nsvc.org.
The National Center for Victims of Crime: Offers resources for navigating the criminal justice system, finding legal representation, and understanding victims' rights. Visit their website at https://victimsofcrime.org.
If you or a loved one is a survivor and experiencing emotional reactions, consider contacting a trained professional therapist. You'll find a list of practitioners on the FREA.Support website at, https://www.frea.support/directory-of-practitioners. You'll find anxiety and stress relief methods for self-care under the FREA website "Resources" section.
Author: Stephen Carter is a FREA volunteer, founder of the Stress Relief Radio Network, and host of "Easy Stress Cures', "EFT Tapping Junction", and other podcasts focused on emotional wellbeing. Steve is a former Chief of Police and Corporate Security executive.
*"FBI Releases 2024 Reported Crimes in the Nation Statistics"
Note: Some of the information shared in this post was sourced from one or more AI large language model resources.
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Awareness is the key to dealing with this issue. Many thanks to Steve Carter for his work in spotlighting this issue.