Prevention Corner - Speak up. Speak out.

Continued from Spring 2011 Frontline... Did you know that in a survey of high school students, 56% of girls and 76% of boys [some of whom may be incoming college freshmen] believed forced sex was acceptable under some circumstances? How do we as parents, teachers, professionals and mentors begin to dispel these misconceptions before or as students go off to college?[1] This April, for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), MCASA will launch the “Speak up. Speak out.” campaign. “Speak up. Speak out.” is a sexual violence prevention campaign encouraging students on campus communities to recognize and speak up and speak out against sexual violence when they see or hear about it happening. The campaign will include brochures on topics such as engaging bystanders, engaging men, as well as healthy relationships to name a few. A website will be launched targeting a college-aged audience and will have social networking capabilities, video and other interactive tools, along with resources that can be downloaded and printed out. MCASA will also be taking part in college events for SAAM. If your school is hosting an event or is interested in learning how they can get involved with “Speak up. Speak out.” please contact us at [email protected] for more information. If you know someone who may be interested in learning more about the campaign, you can forward this e-newsletter to them by clicking the “Tell a Friend” button at the bottom of the e-newsletter. Written by Nancy Sprague Levesque MCASA Communications Manager