Nationally, April is observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) as a way to raise awareness about and to promote prevention of sexual violence through special events and public education. SAAM creates an opportunity to highlight your Job Corps Center's Sexual Assault and Response Team. The theme for SAAM 2006 is “ It's About Time to Prevent Sexual Violence –Speak Out!” This slogan serves to remind us that each of us on a Job Corps center can play a role as a leader, a teacher, a friend or co-worker in sexual assault prevention. Each Job Corps Sexual Assault and Response Team should seek to establish a climate of confidence in which:

• sexual assault and the attitudes that promote it are not tolerated on center
• victims of sexual assault receive the care and support that they need
• the offenders are held accountable for their actions

Remember prevention is just as important as responding to an assault. During the month of April, and throughout the year, provide your students with information on how to prevent sexual assaults on and off center. Consider visiting the dorms this month and share prevention information. Refer to Program Instruction 04-10 Increasing Student Safety and Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention and Attachment 04-10a which gives you specific suggestions for prevention.

Information on the national campaign is also available through the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Visit the site to learn more about successful SAAM activities in other communities, and to access tools to assist in your planning for SAAM. Recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month each year highlights sexual violence as a major public health problem and reinforces the need for on-going center wide prevention efforts.