This year, the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign’s call to action is “Building Safe Online Spaces Together.” The 2022 SAAM theme focuses on building online communities centered on respect, inclusion, and safety — where harassment, assault, and abuse are taken seriously. A safe online space is inclusive, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
To prevent other crimes like this from happening, For All Seasons Inc. has developed and implemented educational campaigns to help young people and their caregivers navigate online safety and awareness of human trafficking. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) suggests the following to prevent online sexual assaults:
- Improve skills around asking for consent and respecting the answer, challenge jokes that demean others, and maintain and model healthy relationships.
- Report inappropriate content If you see sensitive or violent content on a social media platform, you can report it to the platform it was shared on (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) in order to have it flagged or removed.
- Encourage children to respect others’ boundaries and bodies, challenge unfair gender stereotypes, and treat others with respect.
- Speak out when you see harmful comments that blame victims for what happened to them, you can respond by refocusing accountability on the perpetrator.
- Improve policies and practices within faith communities, community organizations, workplaces, and schools to ensure everyone is treated fairly. Screen staff and volunteers and train them frequently on healthy behaviors.
- Create and pass legislation that supports survivors and improves equitable resources.
Kristy Mirando, Director of Victim Services at For All Seasons, comments, “We all have a role in keeping others safe online. It could be as simple as stepping up and reporting things when we see harmful content or comments online.”
According to NSVRC, online sexual abuse can be any type of sexual harassment, exploitation, or abuse that takes place through screens. This harassment can include sending someone unwelcome communication about sex or hateful comments based on sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation; sending partners, friends, acquaintances, or strangers unwanted requests for nude photos or videos or to live stream sexual acts; performing sexual acts on webcam without the consent of everyone involved or in inappropriate settings; and grooming children to enable their sexual abuse either online or offline.
As technology has evolved, abuse has grown as well. Some acts are identified as criminal under the law, while still too many acts of sexual violence online are not taken seriously. Sometimes violence is initiated online and then takes place in person, and in other instances, the violence takes place entirely behind screens.
For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center offers certified sexual assault victim advocates; counseling and support groups, free and confidential services in English and Spanish, support in the hospital, police department, and court, and referrals to social and legal services. The For All Seasons English Hotline is 410-820-5600 and Spanish Hotline is 410-829-6143.
For further information and to find support for online sexual assaults, visit www.forallseasonsinc.org or visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center at www.nsvrc.org.
For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.
