Tennessee Observes Sexual Assault Awareness Month

NASHVILLE, TN – Tennessee's historic state capitol will be silhouetted in teal lighting from Monday, April 28, through Wednesday, April 30, to raise awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Earlier this month, an official proclamation was signed that reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting survivors, raising public awareness, and preventing sexual violence in all its forms.

The Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration’s Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) is a strategic planning agency that secures, distributes, and manages federal and state grant funds for Tennessee. In collaboration with other public and non-profit agencies, OCJP utilizes these grant monies to support innovative projects statewide in efforts to reduce criminal activity, provide services for crime victims, and promote the overall enhancement of the criminal justice system in Tennessee.

OCJP has provided funding to 14 family justice centers across Tennessee that serve survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. The Sullivan County Family Justice Center was the first family justice center in Tennessee to feature an on-site sexual assault exam room for victims of sexual assault. 

The U.S. Department of State estimates that 463,634 individuals aged 12 or older are sexually assaulted each year. Every 68 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted, and every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. Out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, 975 perpetrators will walk free. Eight out of 10 rapes are committed by someone who knows the victim.

More information about National Sexual Assault Awareness Month can be found on the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website here: https://www.nsvrc.org/saam.

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