Denim Day 2022
in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month
Trigger Warning: Topics in this blog concern sexual violence.
What is Denim Day 2022?
Denim Day is a campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. A New Leaf actively works to prevent sexual violence through our Sexual and Domestic Violence programs operating across the Valley in Arizona.
This important day is an inspiring and powerful opportunity to practice solidarity and support survivors by renewing your commitment to exposing harmful behaviors and attitudes surrounding sexual violence. Together, our community can bring awareness to victim blaming and the enormously destructive myths that surround sexual violence.
How to Participate in Denim Day This Year
Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.
1. The most important thing that you can do on Denim Day is to wear a button, t shirt, or sticker to show that you are supporting on-the-ground sexual violence prevention efforts! You can purchase gear for Denim Day by clicking HERE!
2. Join A New Leaf’s online community dedicated to eliminating sexual violence. Tag us in posts related to Denim Day to promote awareness. A New Leaf is active on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
3. Make a donation to help survivors of sexual violence, giving them the resources and help they need to recover. Every dollar donated goes directly into our local community, helping those that need it most. You can make a donation now by clicking HERE!
Understanding the Issue: Why Should You Participate?
Sexual violence impacts all members of our community – regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or any other demographic. Anyone can suddenly find themselves in this situation and be in need of help. We must recognize that people neither ask for nor deserve to be victims of sexual violence – ever.
On average, there are 463,634 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. 1 out of 6 women, and 1 out of 33 men, are victims of attempted or completed rape. We all know someone who has faced this type of trauma, whether they have shared it or not. It affects our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and even our family. No matter who you are, this issue is so very important
Participating in Denim Day provides a wonderful opportunity for the YOU to show solidarity with survivors of abuse and to encourage open discussion about how we can work in our personal and professional lives to reduce violence in our communities.
Getting Help: What Resources Are Available?
The following resources are listed by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for those in need of assistance:
There is a national network of community-based rape crisis centers and local organizations who support the needs of sexual assault survivors. These centers exist across the United States to provide supportive services to victims of sexual assault. While the specific services available vary by location, services are confidential and may include:
1. Advocacy
2. Education
3. Follow-up services, and referrals to other resources
4. Accompaniment during medical exams and law enforcement interviews
Every state and territory also has an organization designated to coordinate resources and represent that state or territory as its coalition.
NSVRC maintains a directory of organizations that lists state and territory sexual assault coalitions, victim/survivor support organizations, and local communities of color sexual assault organizations. You can contact your state or territory’s coalition to find local resources that provide services to survivors. You can also find a rape crisis center or sexual assault program near you by searching RALIANCE’s directory of local programs.
The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), organizes the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline. The Hotline is a referral service that can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can call the Hotline at 1-800-656-4673, or access RAINN’s online chat service.
Content from this article relied on resources and content located on the website for Denim Day at https://www.denimdayinfo.org and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center at https://www.nsvrc.org.