FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 4, 2022
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University’s recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 6, with an event on the dining hall patio on the Stephenville campus as part of National Public Health Week, in partnership with Tarleton’s Public Health Student Association and several community agencies.
Students will be encouraged to sign posters, write messages of support to survivors, and make an awareness pin to wear throughout the month. The campaign includes Teal Tuesdays, April 5, 12, 19 and 26, when supporters will wear teal, the color associated with sexual assault survivors.
Other activities:
Community organizations are hosting “Stop the Silence” to bring awareness to the interconnected topics of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence at 5:30 p.m. April 21 at the Erath County Courthouse in downtown Stephenville.
Denim Day, a symbol of protest stemming from an Italian court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans, is set for April 27. Supporters are asked to wear their jeans that day and talk about why they are and why it matters. Learn more at denimdayinfo.org.
Two-hour Zoom awareness classes, Bringing in the Bystander, are scheduled for Friday, April 8, and Friday, April 22, at 1 p.m. and Thursday, April 14, at 10 a.m. on how to effectively intervene in potential assault situations. Attendees also will learn how to build a campus culture that will not tolerate violence. To register, email savp@tarleton.edu.
For more about SAAM, visit www.tarleton.edu/counseling or call 254-968-9044.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month traces its history to the 1970s, when activists began organizing on a national scale to reduce violence against women. Advocates fought to bring a once-taboo topic out of the shadows and for society to seek solutions.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.