Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Creating a culture of consent

By Dina Polkinghorne

Every April, Project Sanctuary joins rape crisis centers across the country and holds a month-long ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Month’ campaign. So what exactly does it mean to be aware of sexual assault? Do you, for example, know what the laws in California are around sexual assault? Let’s take a look at a few so you can gauge your awareness. 

The California Age of Consent is 18 years old. In several other states it’s actually lower. The age of consent is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participation in sexual activity. Minors aged 17 or younger in California are not legally able to consent to sexual activity, and such activity may result in prosecution for statutory rape.  

Spousal rape, also known as marital rape, is nonconsensual sexual intercourse between spouses or domestic partners. It’s unique in that it falls under the umbrella of California rape laws and domestic violence law. There is no special leniency just because the offender was married to the victim. In California, spousal rape is punished the same way as a stranger rape. Activity that can lead to a spousal rape charge include things like engaging in sex with a spouse if they are passed out from drinking too much, or sex under duress when a citizen threatens a non US citizen spouse with divorce or getting a green card revoked if they don’t have sex with them.  

Date rape is a term commonly used to describe nonconsensual sexual intercourse that takes place between people who are or were dating, or are voluntarily spending time together.  While date rape sounds more casual than a typical California rape charge, the two are, in fact, one and the same.   

Those are just a few of the sexual assault laws in California and you may have noticed that the theme running through all these scenarios is consent. 

So what exactly does it mean to get consent in relation to sexual activity?  We like this description from RAINN “...When you’re engaging in sexual activity, consent is about communication. And it should happen every time. Giving consent for one activity, one time, does not mean giving consent for increased or recurring sexual contact. For example, agreeing to kiss someone doesn’t give that person permission to remove your clothes. Having sex with someone in the past doesn’t give that person permission to have sex with you again in the future. You can withdraw consent at any point if you feel uncomfortable. It’s important to clearly communicate to your partner that you are no longer comfortable with this activity and wish to stop. The best way to ensure both parties are comfortable with any sexual activity is to talk about it” www rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent  

Project Sanctuary is incorporating the idea of consent into many of our activities this April. We will be partnering with several bars and pubs in the county to promote consent and safety with consent messaging on coasters, and the Angel Shot program where bartenders receive special training to spot potential abuse.  Several businesses and organizations throughout the County will have special SAAM info on their countertops along with a basket of free consent and SAAM buttons for community members to wear in April.

International Denim Day is April 24th. This is a special day in April to recognize a supreme court ruling in Italy that a rape victim’s assailant could not have gotten the victims tight jeans off without her participation and therefore his conviction was overturned. Italian women took to the streets by the thousands, including female government officials, wearing jeans in protest. Denim Day has become an international symbol of the anti-victim-blaming movement. If you would like to host a Denim Day at your workplace it’s super easy. We can supply you with Denim Day buttons for your staff and everyone wears denim to work that day. 

Please join us this April in our efforts to prevent sexual assault by visiting our webpage for a complete list of ways to engage in SAAM.  www.projectsanctuary.org

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For over thirty years, Project Sanctuary has served as a resource and crisis center for survivors of domestic violence and /or sexual abuse in Mendocino County. Services are free and include counseling, legal advocacy, transitional housing, prevention education and community outreach, and safe and confidential shelter. Dina Polkinghorne has been with Project Sanctuary since 2005, serving as it’s Executive Director for the last 10 years.