UMKC students spread awareness on sexual assault throughout the month of April

  UMKC students are taking action to commemorate April as national Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

  Resources, Intervention, Support, and Education, or RISE, is a confidential support office on campus available to both staff and students. 

  Those at RISE are not mandated reporters, meaning they are not legally required to report a situation to authorities. This allows for freedom to talk through a situation with full confidentiality. 

  “It gets recognition but it’s a topic a lot of people still don’t want to talk about,and we want to break the stigma. We want to be able to showcase we have this support here,” said Michelle Kroner, the manager of RISE.

  The RISE office in Haag 108 will be holding events throughout April, partnering with multiple student organizations, including the Women’s Center.

  Sexual assault is not specific to one gender or identity. It can affect anyone in any capacity. While in college, one in five women and one in 16 men are assaulted and off those assaults only about 10% are reported. 

  “It’s okay to come forward if something happened to you. There’s nothing wrong with being a victim of something and talking about your experience,” said Kroner.

  Some students did not know that there was a month dedicated to sexual assault awareness, but were vocal in their support for its existence. 

  “It is super important. Everyone deserves to feel safe on campus.  Awareness will create better learning environments and openness,” said graduate Conservatory student Jackson Gearing.

  The group Student Advocates for Equity or SAFE is another resource on campus which provides support for survivors of gender-based violence. Unlike RISE, it is a student-led organization, which gives students the opportunity to get involved with advocacy among their peers.

  “We need awareness of things that nobody likes to talk about that are important to talk about,” said undecided freshman Rana Korynta.

  The last Wednesday of the month, landing on April 30 this year, is known as Denim Day, which is a national campaign to stand in solidarity with survivors. By wearing denim, participants protest victim blaming. 

  Victim blaming is when someone accuses a victim of being somewhat responsible for what happened to them. This can be harmful to the person as it adds to a culture of silence and questioning the validity of their experience. 

  An event will be held to commemorate Denim Day with details listed here and on social media.  For more information regarding events throughout the month, visit Roo Groups. For more information on RISE, visit: https://info.umkc.edu/rise/. 

remr9w@umsystem.edu