Given the current circumstances of COVID-19, millions of Americans are living under stay-at-home orders to practice physical distancing and slow the spread of the deadly disease. While rates of cases begin to rise, other rising rates are also on the horizon: sexual assault and domestic violence incidents. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the Center for Student Wellness needs for you to be informed.

Experts suggest that countless domestic violence survivors could suffer unintended consequences as a result of this pandemic and the efforts to fight it. Isolation puts survivors at risk for increased abuse, sexual assault by partners, homelessness, reminders of past traumas and mental health issues. The Center for Student Wellness, CSW for short, is committed to providing support to those who are or have experienced interpersonal violence.

Our victim-survivor advocates provide free, confidential and trauma-informed support for members of our campus community. To contact the advocates, email advocate@sa.utah.edu. We are currently providing advocacy virtually via Zoom and by telephone appointments, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Every year, CSW engages the campus community in Sexual Assault Awareness Month, also known as SAAM. This is an opportunity for our university community to raise awareness around sexual harassment, assault, abuse and sexual violence. This year, we will continue to raise awareness virtually and invite each of you to join us. We strive to build a culture of consent, encourage healthy communication strategies and connect those in need to available resources.