This April, the Advocacy Center will once again be recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness & Child Abuse Prevention Month. We hope you will join us in a series of events taking place throughout Tompkins County to show your support to survivors as well as learn how to assist in preventing these forms of violence. Read more below or share our 2022 Events Listing.
Wear Blue Day, Friday, April 1st, Raise Awareness About Child Abuse Prevention
Promoting the positive message that we can prevent child abuse, NYS Wear Blue Day is a simple way to remind caregivers that there are support people and resources which can help them through difficult times. Join our staff & community partners in wearing blue on April 1. Share pictures with the hashtags #childabusepreventionmonth and #advocacytc or email them to info@actompkins.org so we can share them! If you would like to share child safety, parent-caregiver tips, abuse prevention information, or coloring sheets, let us know. We can help you do that!
Denim Day, Wednesday, April 27th
Wear denim in support of sexual assault survivors! Denim Day began in 1992 after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. In protest, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans on the steps of the Supreme Court. This gained global attention, and Denim Day is now an annual reminder that we still need to debunking harmful myths surrounding sexual violence, interrupt victim blaming, and practice sexual consent in our own relationships.
Take Back The Night! Friday, April 29th 7-9pm, Ithaca Commons
March. Rally. Speak Out. Vigil.
We’re back in person for a powerful evening of music, spoken word, speakers and reflection honoring survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Join a march from Downtown Ithaca, Cornell, or Ithaca College to the Rally at Bernie Milton Pavilion to show that our community demands an end to these forms of violence. Follow us on social media for all the details!
Programs at Cornell, Ithaca College & TC3!
Our Campus Educator has been busy partnering with Cornell, TC3 and IC to support their efforts in raising awareness and working towards prevention of sexual violence on campus. Below are highlights of some of the exciting events taking place. To learn more check out actompkins.org/events.
- Tabling displays at TC3, learn about supporting survivors & write a Survivor Love Letter: April 4th, 13th, & 21st from 11-1p (all welcome.)
- Take Back the Night Poster Making at TC3: April 27th from 12:30-1:30p. (all welcome.)
- IC Workshops: Bringing in the Bystander: April 15th from 2-3:30p & Supporting Survivors: April 20 from 4-5p
- Queer Relationships in the Media at Cornell Loving House: April 21st from 6:30-7:30p & April 28th from 6-7p
Middle and High School Student Classes & Events about Consent
Our Youth Educator teaches a powerful set of programs on boundaries; healthy-unhealthy-abusive relationship behaviors; online predators, grooming, sexual abuse and trafficking; sexualized media and violence; and trauma and art; email kclark@actompkins.org for more info. Our Teen Art Group for abuse survivors starts again soon; email mrobbins@actompkins.org about that. And, look for students and staff wearing denim and marching to TBTN!
Unfolding: A Timeline of Sexual Assault Activism in Tompkins County Art Exhibit
May 6, First Friday Gallery Night at CAP Artspace, 5-8pm
A partnership between The History Center in Tompkins County and the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County, ‘Unfolding: A Timeline of Sexual Assault Activism in Tompkins County’ features Clothesline Project artwork by local survivors of sexual and relationship abuse displayed alongside a timeline of victim/survivor support and prevention efforts in Tompkins County from the 1970’s to the present day. Runs through May: thehistorycenter.net/unfolding