April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and at the Coalition, we’re here to talk about it. Sexual violence reaches every community. It impacts all of us, and sometimes it can feel like ending abuse is an impossible task. But prevention happens in everyday conversations, in the way we support survivors, and in the choices we make about what our communities will and won’t accept– prevention starts with community.
Across Washington, advocates are working every day to support survivors, respond to violence, and help build communities where people can feel safe asking for help. When survivors know they will be believed, when people have access to advocacy and resources, and when we are willing to talk honestly about consent, relationships, and respect, prevention and healing become possible.
Right now, we are surrounded by conversations in the news and online about sexual abuse, accountability, and the ways violence is ignored or excused. For survivors and advocates, that can feel exhausting and discouraging. It can seem like nothing changes. But no matter what is happening in the news or in the courts, we can continue to show up for survivors and each other in our homes, our workplaces, our schools, and our communities. Preventing sexual violence can start with us.
Check out the resources on this page for ways that you can take action and get involved this Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Learn How to Help Someone You Care About
When someone tells you they have experienced sexual violence, you don’t need to have the perfect words. What matters most is how you show up.
Listening without judgment, believing what someone tells you, and respecting their choices can make a huge difference. Survivors often worry they won’t be believed, or that people will blame them for what happened. A supportive response can help someone feel less alone and more able to reach out for help if they want it.
Some ways to support someone you care about:
- Listen without interrupting or asking why questions
- Believe them and take what they say seriously
- Let them decide what they want to do next
- Offer to help them find support if they want it
- Respect their privacy
- Take care of yourself too — supporting someone can be hard
Advocacy programs across Washington are available to support survivors and the people who care about them. You can help someone connect to their local program here. Check out more resources below for tips on how to help someone in your life.
Start a Tough Conversation
Prevention starts with everyday conversations. It can be hard to know where to start to talk about consent, relationships, sex, boundaries, or behavior that doesn’t feel right. These conversations can feel uncomfortable, but they are part of how we change the culture around violence.
You might want to talk with a friend, partner, coworker, or family member about something that matters to you. You don’t need to say everything perfectly. Being willing to speak honestly and listen to each other is what makes change possible.
Some examples of conversations that can help prevent harm:
- Talking with a partner about consent, boundaries, sex, and respect
- Checking in with a friend about something that didn’t feel right
- Letting someone know their behavior made you uncomfortable
- Asking for support when something has happened to you
- Speaking up when you hear victim-blaming or harmful jokes
These conversations can be difficult, but they help create communities where violence is taken seriously and people feel safer asking for help.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out these resources for tips:
- Let’s Talk: Campus Bystander Resources
- Love Is Respect: How To Set Boundaries
- Planned Parenthood: How Do I Talk About Consent?
- RAINN: How To Tell Someone You Were Sexually Assaulted
- What’s OK? A Safe Space For Young People To Ask About Sex
Share on Social Media
One way to support Sexual Assault Awareness Month is by helping share accurate information, prevention messages, and resources in your community.
Throughout April, the Coalition is sharing graphics and messages you can use on social media to help start conversations, support survivors, and remind people that prevention starts with community. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to share.
Sample captions you can use or adapt:
- Prevention starts with community. This Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we’re talking about how supporting survivors and having honest conversations can help prevent violence. Learn more at wscadv.org/saam
- You don’t have to have all the answers to make a difference. Listening, believing survivors, and speaking up when something isn’t right are all part of prevention.
- Sexual violence doesn’t happen in isolation. Strong communities, access to advocacy, and real conversations all help make prevention possible. Learn more: wscadv.org/saam
- Advocates across Washington are here to listen, support, and walk alongside survivors. Find resources and learn how to help at wscadv.org/saam
For Advocates: Explore Prevention Resources or Attend an Event
Advocates, preventionists, and community educators play an important role in preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors. Prevention work can look different in every community, but it often starts with the same things– building trust, creating space for honest conversations, and helping people understand what respect, consent, and accountability really mean in everyday life.
We know this work takes time, creativity, and strong partnerships, and having the right tools and resources can make a difference. You can find prevention resources, training materials, tools, and training opportunities for advocates below:
Honoring Sexual Assault Awareness Month by Advocating for Survivor Services and Prevention
April 9, 2026
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Join the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence for a webinar designed to help participants prepare for advocacy with policymakers. The session will cover recent data from a national survey of rape crisis centers and the National Intimate Partner & Sexual Violence Survey, along with advocacy basics for engaging with decision makers, guidance for planning and participating in meetings with policymakers, and key talking points on survivor services and prevention priorities for FY 2027 appropriations. This webinar is intended for survivors, advocates, local programs, coalitions, and national organizations who care about ending sexual violence and supporting healing services. Registration deadline: March 26, 2026.
Prevention In Practice: Exploring the Possibilities of Violence Prevention Programming
April 15, 2026
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Violence prevention can take many forms, and the possibilities are broader than people often realize. When prevention work is grounded in public health approaches, anti-oppressive values, and strong community relationships, it can open the door to new ideas, new partnerships, and new ways of reaching people. But what does prevention actually look like in practice?
Join Coalition prevention staff and preventionists from across Washington as we share real examples of prevention programming happening in communities around the state. From using social media to shift harmful narratives, to building partnerships with local organizations, to working toward policy change, this conversation will explore the many ways prevention work is taking shape right now. Come learn, share ideas, and think together about what’s possible.
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in the Digital Age
April 23, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Free, virtual learning opportunity hosted by the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC)
Child sexual abuse is preventable when adults know what to look for and how to intervene. When technology is involved, targeting, grooming and abuse may look different. It’s important to understand what’s happening, what’s changed — and what has not.
Join KCSARC this Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month for an essential webinar for parents and caregivers, school staff, medical and mental health providers and any adult who is responsible for the safety of children and teens.
Our specialists in sexual abuse prevention will help you understand the new ways digital devices, social media, gaming platforms and AI are enabling harm — and how foundational strategies can stop abuse from happening.
Throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month and all year long, we appreciate the work advocates across Washington are doing to support survivors, build relationships, and create communities where violence is less likely to happen in the first place.