What Is It?
Sexual Assault
Any kind of unwanted sexual contact, including sexual touching and fondling, carried out through force, threat of force, coercion, pressure, or when the victim is unable or unwilling to give consent.*
Rape
A form of sexual assault that includes unwanted sexual (vaginal, oral, or anal) penetration.*
Some Facts About Sexual Violence
- Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.>*
- 13 percent of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).*
- Male college-aged students (18-24) are 78 percent more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.*
- Female college-aged students (18-24) are 20 percent less likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.*
- 23 percent of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 16 percent of non-TGQN females and 3 percent of non-TGQN males.*
Sexual Violence Awareness Events and Activities
RAINN Day
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) Day is a sexual violence awareness visual display held in the Oak Grove. Umbrellas presenting quotes, statistics, and words of encouragement and support are displayed throughout the Oak Grove to raise awareness and support for victims and survivors of sexual violence. Students can attend umbrella-making workshops before RAINN Day to make an umbrella that will be displayed along with the others in the Oak Grove. The Haven Project will also table all day on RAINN Day to provide more information, resources, and opportunities for students to get involved in the fight against sexual assault.
For more information, visit RAINN's website.
What Were You Wearing Campaign
The What Were You Wearing Campaign is an exhibit that is on display in various campus locations in April, which is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The art exhibit includes anonymous survivor stories along with a visual representation of the clothing they were wearing. The images bring awareness to the issue of victim blaming and aims to dismantle the myth that sexual assault occurs due to what a person was wearing when the assault occurred.
This campaign is made possible by a collaboration between IUP Haven Project and the IUP Fashion Merchandising program.
Take Back the Night
When the sun goes down, we take back the night for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Let your voice be heard!
As part of April's Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Haven Project, the Alice Paul House, and the IUP and Indiana Communities take part in Take Back the Night, a march through IUP campus and the Indiana community to show support for victims and survivors of violence. Following the march, there will be a Speak Out for survivors to share their own stories and empower others in a safe, supportive environment.
For more information, visit the Haven Project's Take Back the Night Awareness page.