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LGBTQ+ Resources

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Ariana Langford, Delaware Alliance Against Sexual Violence (DAASV) Board President

Venita Garvin, the inaugural Executive Director of DAASV

 

Welcome to April and Sexual Assault Awareness Month – SAAM for short!

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the first national designation of April as being Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  The first one was in 2001.  This makes SAAM a relative youngster compared to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which was nationally designated in 1989.

SAAM may not have been around as long, but like domestic violence awareness, its seeds may have been planted as long ago as the civil rights movement begun in the 1940s and 1950s.  Long before researchers studied the topic, women of color saw similarities between the fight for racial equality and gender equality.  The 1960s brought changing attitudes towards women and sexuality, and by the 1970s, rape crisis centers started opening to address the needs of those impacted by sexual violence. 

Those early years fueled efforts to raise awareness, to change attitudes, and to change legislation.  The 1993 passing of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was a landmark victory for all who worked on issues of gender-based violence.  It would still take another eight years before SAAM was officially born.

Ariana and I commend all the people who worked hard to get us to this 20th celebration of SAAM!  But, there is still much more work to be done both locally and nationally.  Today SAAM is focused on raising awareness of all forms of sexual violence, including sexual assault, abuse, and harassment, as well as opportunities for prevention.

For example, this year a number of events are planned to honor SAAM in Delaware.  Please join us for an official kick-off event on Tuesday, April 6th at 6 pm.  There is a podcast series, “So You Want to be an Ally” that will cover a range of topics.  Member and partner agencies are hosting a variety of events.  On April 30th the Delaware Alliance Against Sexual Violence (DAASV) is pleased to host “Live Respect Delaware – Coaching Healthy, Respectful Manhood” featuring Tony Porter, the CEO of A Call to Men. DAASV is so excited to be able to bring Tony and the A Call To Men team to Delaware!

Please check out the calendar of events for SAAM by clicking here.  We look forward to having you join us!

DAASV was formally recognized as Delaware’s designated sexual assault coalition effective September 1, 2020.  Our mission is to address sexual violence in Delaware by creating an inclusive community that supports survivors through advocacy, intervention and awareness.  www.delawarealliance.org

Our Member Organizations

  • Alert! Computer use can be monitored.

    Computer Safety

    WARNING!

    If you are being stalked or abused, take steps to keep your abuser from knowing you are looking for help. Please use a safer computer, or call 911, one of Delaware's local hotlines at 302-762-6110 for New Castle County or 302-422-8058 for Kent & Sussex Counties , or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224.

    EMERGENCY "QUICK ESCAPE" BUTTON

    There is a red Quick Escape button in the lower right-hand corner of every page on this website.
    Click this button if your abuser enters the room while you are viewing this website. It will close this website and redirect your browser to a neutral page.

    Clean up Your Online Path

    Internet Safety

    Everything you do online is recorded. It is IMPOSSIBLE to clear your tracks completely. Your computer stores hundreds of bits of information about everything you do with your computer, including information about which websites you've visited, your passwords, and what your emails say. An abuser can easily track the websites you visit or read your email messages.

    If you suspect your activities are being monitored, they probably are. Abusers are often controlling and want to know your every move. You don’t need to be a computer programmer or have special skills to monitor someone’s computer activities – anyone can do it and there are many ways to monitor your activities - even without having direct access to your computer. Using a separate computer is best, but you can protect yourself at home by familiarizing yourself with processes like private browsing, deleting your browser history, clearing your cache and deleting cookies.

    You can be tracked

    Your abuser can track your online actions – there is nothing you can do to remove your tracks completely. If you try to erase your tracks, your abuser might become suspicious.
    If you think you might be in danger, use a computer at a public library, internet cafe or a trusted friend’s house. If your abuser sends you email, do not open it on those computers.

    If you need help now, call 911 or the
    New Castle County Domestic Violence Hotline: 302-762-6110
    Kent & Sussex County Domestic Violence Hotline: 302-422-8058
    Kent & Sussex County Bi-lingual Domestic Violence Hotline: 302-745-9874
    US National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233
    US National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673
    US National Teen Dating Violence Helpline 1-866-331-9474

    Email Safety

    Email is not a safe or confidential way to communicate.

    Sending email is like sending a postcard through the mail. Anyone along the path can read what it says. If you need to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life, if possible, please call a hotline instead.

    If you must use email to discuss your situation we suggest you use an account that your abuser doesn't know about. Set up a new account with a free email service like hotmail, yahoo, or gmail.

    Password Safety

    Be smart about passwords to keep your abuser out of your accounts.

    DO NOT use a name or password that contains any identifying information (no names, nicknames, initials, birthdates, zipcodes, etc.) Instead use a name and password that contains a random mix of letters, CAPITAL letters and numbers (for example, HJ3v67Tn) -

    Make sure you can remember the user name and password. If you must write it down somewhere, put it in a place your abuser is unlikely to find it.

    If the computer asks if you would like it to save your password or login information tell it NO.

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