For the roughly 72 million students enrolled in U.S. schools and colleges, campus violence is a legitimate worry. And if you're a college student or college-age adult, you're at particularly high risk of being sexually assaulted—likely by someone you know.

At RAINN, we're fighting alongside survivors and advocates to cultivate safe college campuses that are free from sexual violence.

In the meantime, you can take action to keep yourself—and your community—safe on campus. Here, we'll take a look at:

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Finding resources after experiencing sexual violence can be hard, draining, and difficult. For survivors for whom English is not their primary language, it can be even more challenging. Lia-Marie Marmolejos, a bilingual senior shift manager on RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, explains that “many survivors feel by themselves on both the English and Spanish hotline but the language barrier for the Spanish hotline is a difficult component.”

RAINN recently hosted a virtual coffeehouse discussion with authors, survivors, and activists Kelly Yang and Chessy Prout on creating safer environments for students on high school and college campuses and making sure all survivors have the resources they need to heal. The survivors shared personal stories about their experiences, calling the conversation “a celebration of survivorship.” 

Returning to college campuses this fall will undoubtedly look unfamiliar for many college students, and for students who are survivors of sexual assault, navigating resources and reporting may be more challenging due to COVID-19. “Remote learning doesn’t mean sexual violence stops,” said Keeli Sorensen, vice president of victim services at RAINN. “We need to ensure that students are able to learn in a safe virtual environment and that they still feel supported by their university if something were to happen.”

RAINN Day is an annual day of awareness and action about sexual violence held on college campuses around the country during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (#SAAPM). This year, RAINN Day will be held on Tuesday, April 14.

Millions of high school and college students in the United States will head to campus for the first time or return for another year this fall. Bystander intervention is a powerful way that individuals of all ages can look out for each other and help create safe and respectful spaces.

Individuals and communities across the country recognize Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (#SAAPM) each April. This year, as RAINN reflects on 25 years of helping survivors, we’re making this April not only about awareness, but action.