0:00:00.0 Megan Thomas: Welcome to Resource On The Go, a podcast from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center on understanding, responding to, and preventing sexual abuse and assault. I'm Megan Thomas, and I'm the communication specialist at NSVRC. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and on today's episode, we're learning all about the upcoming campaign, including how you can get involved and how we've made it easy to host an online event this year. I'm joined today by Susan Sullivan, the Prevention Campaign Specialist at NSVRC, who coordinates our annual SAAM campaign.

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0:00:49.0 MT: So Susan, it's that time of year again, Sexual Assault Awareness Month is right around the corner, and this is the time when organizations and individuals start to think about how they're gonna get involved. So, could you start off by telling us a little bit about the upcoming SAAM campaign?

0:01:04.0 Susan Sullivan: Of course. SAAM 2021 is all about preventing sexual harassment and abuse online. This year our core content focuses on topics like, how we can practice digital consent and communicate boundaries, ways we can create safe online communities and keep kids safe online, and how we can support survivors by creating trauma-informed online spaces. And since our campaign is focused so much in online spaces, we're also offering lots of resources for everyone to get involved online. Like always, we have our SAAM social media graphics, Zoom backgrounds, GIFs, social media guidance, our 30 days of SAAM Instagram challenge, blog series and more. But what's new and exciting this year is that we have a whole new easy way that you can host a SAAM event online, because we've created online template events that tie right into the campaign content. Also, our campaign resources are all online this year, and they're designed to be highly shareable, visual and mobile-friendly.

0:02:14.5 MT: Great. So, the theme this year is, "We Can Build Safe Online Spaces." Why is the focus for SAAM 2021 on bringing awareness to harassment and abuse online and talking about how to prevent it?

0:02:27.8 SS: So, in addition to working on the SAAM campaign, one of my responsibilities is monitoring NSVRC's social media pages. This means that every day I'm searching for the latest current events relating to sexual violence. So, when you're Googling terms like sexual abuse, consent, sexual harassment and so on, over the course of a year or years, it's really easy to identify trends. And one of the trends that I noticed above all else, was the impact the pandemic was having on the field. Over the past few months, we've seen stories in the news relating to online workplace sexual harassment, things that take place over a Zoom calls, for instance. There have been stories coming out about the uptick in online predators targeting children, and there's been more talk of ways we can navigate online dating and communicating our boundaries during the time of the pandemic.

0:03:27.1 SS: So, while the SAAM campaign has been incorporating online spaces for the past two campaigns where we've talked about digital consent, the impact of COVID really pushed things forward and did transform how we communicate in such a way where it only made sense that SAAM focused entirely in online spaces this year. And while we're still in this early stage of this new normal, working remotely, having virtual classes, for instance, we have an opportunity to build something better. We have an opportunity to build environments that are safer and more inclusive and welcoming from the get-go, and it's important for everyone to understand the role they can play in helping to make that happen.

0:04:07.4 MT: So, 2021 was really the right year to bring attention to this issue during SAAM.

0:04:12.8 SS: Yes, not only to bring attention to the issue, but also to offer resources and tools to help us proactively address the situation. In the past, SAAM campaigns have focused on physical spaces and actionable ways we can create safe spaces in person. And historically, SAAM campaigns have also adapted to issues of their time, which is part of the reason I think SAAM endures. For instance, in 2014, when there was a national focus on campus sexual assault, that was the theme of SAAM that year. So the We Can Build campaign is very relevant to our present moment. At the same time, the research about sexual harassment and assault online may not have caught up to us yet, but we're able to apply everything we know about risk and protective factors to online spaces. And of course, there's still a lot of uncertainty around where we're headed from here. We don't know how long we'll be in this situation, but one thing we do know is that we are communicating more online than ever before, and there really doesn't seem to be any going back from that. So, 2021 does feel like the right time to bring awareness to this issue and to share some basic information around how we can interact with one another more respectfully online, and to take what we know about prevention and apply it in these new online environments.

0:05:38.4 MT: So, you mentioned that that the, We Can Build campaign gives us resources on how to prevent sexual harassment and abuse in online spaces. And something I noticed about the SAAM content this year, is that it also focuses on explaining the impact of trauma, and why it's so important to create online spaces that are trauma-informed. So, could you tell us a little bit about that?

0:06:01.6 SS: In creating this campaign, it felt important to us to really name the impact of abuse that occurs online. I think there might be some misconceptions that sexual harassment or abuse that takes place through screens is somehow less impactful than abuse that occurs in person, but we know that that isn't necessarily the case. Many of us have experienced stress first-hand when we've received a disrespectful email or message directed at us online, so we know that just because these forms of abuse are taking place behind a screen, it doesn't make their impact on the victim any less real, and that they can cause trauma. Part of explaining the importance of preventing these forms of abuse and getting folks on board, is in understanding the impact it can have and addressing it without dismissiveness, judgement or shame. And because we know that so many people are interacting in online spaces, whether these are workplaces, classrooms or social platforms, have probably experienced some form of trauma, it's important to make those spaces trauma-informed.

0:07:09.6 MT: Absolutely. And an ongoing conversation that I know we've seen pretty much since the start of the pandemic is about how, because people are possibly more isolated than ever before, signs of abuse might go unseen. So how is the SAAM campaign addressing this serious concern?

0:07:30.1 SS: In so many ways, the entire campaign is built around the situation we're currently living in. Even our 30 days of SAAM Instagram challenge features prompts that ask participants to reflect on topics like, "How their SAAM advocacy looks different for them now versus in past years." But to your point, the shadow epidemic of domestic and sexual abuse happening due to the stressors of the pandemic is something we really wanted to bring an awareness to with the campaign. One of the challenges about not being able to freely interact with our communities is that signs of abuse are going unseen. For example, children whose teachers might recognize signs of abuse such as bruises and unexplained absences are at a disadvantage online. That means we need new ways that those caring adults can spot signs of abuse. So, this year we've included some suggestions for educators and for other caring adults outside of the home, like extended family, neighbors and friends on ways they might be able to spot abuse through virtual calls.

0:08:39.2 SS: So, I'm hoping that SAAM can serve as a catalyst really though, where others can share and draw attention to the other ways the current situation is impacting our field and other ways we're seeing sexual abuse and harassment show up in online spaces. Throughout April, NSVRC will be using our social media platforms to uplift voices of organizations and individuals who are highlighting how these issues are impacting them. And since this situation is also relatively new. To me, sharing information and ways we're all adapting and what we're noticing still feels really important.

0:09:19.0 MT: Yeah, and last year, SAAM was happening right at the start of the pandemic, and it felt like many organizations were right in the middle of shifting their services and still adjusting to all these new changes. So now, a year later, how are you expecting SAAM 2021 to be different? And not just from last year, but from other previous campaigns as well.

0:09:43.2 SS: Yeah, you bring up a good point. Last year, during SAAM, when the COVID pandemic was first unfolding, many events that had been in person were either cancelled or were adapted into online events in a short window of time. What's interesting is that SAAM is an awareness campaign that has a lot of history. 2021 is actually the 20th anniversary of the campaign. So, there was a lot of tradition around what a SAAM campaign might have looked like in a particular campus or a community, for instance, an annual, Take Back the Night event or so on. But over the last year, we've all in our own ways, adjusted to this new situation that we found ourselves in and thought about new ways of reaching our audiences online.

0:10:29.5 SS: So, while there were lots of virtual SAAM events in 2020, many of those efforts were reacting to the sudden lockdowns in March and April, and now that we've all had a year to adjust and become more savvy around technology, by hosting or taking part in virtual meetings, we'll see how organizations and individuals are thoughtfully and intentionally meeting the situation with their SAAM plans. Our campaign materials are really intended to support and guide folks who are doing that work and thinking about how to engage their audience during SAAM in new ways this year. We really see that as a great way to build a foundation for future online engagement.

0:11:07.6 MT: So, how can organizations that might feel like they're still getting their feet wet with virtual outreach or maybe they've never been involved in SAAM before, start to get involved in the campaign?

0:11:19.4 SS: What's great about the campaign this year is that it's easier than ever to take action. This year, we have a new feature of the campaign, which is templated online SAAM events, and what I mean by templated event is, that these events are already set up for the host. So we provide you with the name of the event, the moderator information and tips, and the step-by-step breakdowns of the event and even follow-up resources. We have a pre-filled out registration page for hosts that come with graphics and information for participants. So, all that you really have to do as the host organization or host individual is just go ahead and choose your time, the day that you wanna have the event on and what online platform that you'll be hosting the event on. So, you can choose Google Hangouts or Zoom, for instance, wherever you wanna host the event. The three types of templated events you can create through NSVRC are the SAAM 101 Scavenger Hunt. So this is where the host poses questions to attendees about online sexual abuse, and they can search for those answers throughout the SAAM website.

0:12:31.5 SS: We also have an online consent and boundaries workshop, where the event host shares scenarios involving online consent, to get attendees discussing and unpacking the situation to think more about how consent and boundaries apply to online situations. And lastly, we have a SAAM self-care session, and this is where the host leads attendees in a guided meditation before opening up a discussion about other self-care practices. And once you sign up to create one of these events, which you can do through the SAAM website, your event is gonna be listed in the National SAAM event list and it's gonna show up to potential attendees that are local to you, who are searching for SAAM events in their area. So, we're even helping to promote your event and we're making it easy for you to attract participants and maybe reach out to a new audience. So, this is a really seamless way to try out an online event, most of these events are under an hour, in fact, I think all of them are, so it's not a huge time commitment for the host or for participants, and all of the content that is shared in these templated events, tie right back into the campaign theme of building safe online spaces.

0:13:47.6 MT: So, it sounds like there's a lot of great content on the SAAM website this year. Where would you suggest people get started?

0:13:54.9 SS: The get involved section is a great place to get started for organizations and individuals because it gives an overview of some of the different ways you can think about engaging in the campaign. This is also the section where you can learn about hosting an online templated event, like I just talked about, but you can also find information on the 30 days of SAAM Instagram challenge here, shareable social media guidance and posts, and also information about the Day of Action, which is on April 6th.

0:14:24.5 MT: That's great, it's really exciting to hear about all the ways that people can get involved in SAAM this year. So, what is the biggest thing that you hope people take away from this year's campaign?

0:14:34.0 SS: You know, SAAM is an awareness campaign, and this year we are trying to raise awareness and start conversations about sexual violence happening in online spaces. The campaign broadly covers some of the topics relating to that, but hopefully it also serves as a jumping off point for folks to think deeper and more broadly about these issues. My hope is that anyone that comes across the campaign, whether it be because they're attending an online event or they're seeing a SAAM social media graphic, is that they walk away with more awareness and some steps they can take around preventing and responding to online harassment and abuse.

0:15:12.6 MT: And I know there will be a lot more content to come, so what's the best way for people to stay up to date?

0:15:19.1 SS: Right. There's definitely more campaign content still to come in March and April. If you're thinking about hosting an online event or you're interested in learning more about the topic of building safe online spaces, then I would really encourage you to sign up for NSVRC's mailing list. You can do that by hitting the subscribe button at the top corner of our website, we'll be sending out bi-weekly updates between now and the end of April, with the latest information on the campaign and new content that'll be coming out, just in April. And that will also include more ways you can get involved. You can also search #SAAM2021 on Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date, and lastly, of course, you can find all of the campaign materials that I talked about today at nsvrc.org/saam.

0:16:10.7 MT: Well, it sounds like there's a lot of great resources and tools to look forward to this April. Susan, thank you so much for talking with me today about the We Can Build campaign. I know we're all really looking forward to seeing how people are gonna engage with it this April.

0:16:25.1 SS: Absolutely, we're looking forward to it.

0:16:27.5 MT: Great. Thanks so much.

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0:17:00.4 MT: Thank you for listening to this episode of Resource On The Go. For more resources and information about preventing sexual assault, visit our website at www.nsvrc.org. You can also get in touch with us by emailing resources@nsvrc.org.