Alright, Let's have a serious conversation about a trend that's currently going on, Specifically, I am talking about the April 24th being the deemed "National S*xual Assault/R*pe Day" and how it is beyond harmful for people who are victims of sexual assault.

As a quick disclaimer, I am a victim of s*xual assault myself, but I can only speak on behave of the trauma I have experienced and the pain I've had to deal with. Trauma is something that we all deal with differently and so for some, my experiences may not ring true with them.

So what is "National R*pe Day"? this hoax was started by a group of boys on Tiktok encouraging others to commit crimes of s*xual assault towards people, primarily women on the day of Saturday, April 24th. Tiktok continues to deny the existence of such a video ever being posted.

I shouldn't have to explain why this is harmful, however, a hoax like this does promote and encourage fear in others. As a result, many other Tiktok content creators have decided to encourage people to remain home for their own safety.

For those who don't know, a majority of s*xual assault crimes happen by those who the victim knows, be it family, friends or partners, and typically within their own home. As a result, victims often feel silenced, in fear that they may ruin families and relationships

Society has encouraged victims to feel as if they're at fault for being taken advantage of, telling us that what we were wearing or what we were doing encouraged the person. It is never the victim's fault. Victims often choose to never speak up in fear of being told they're lying

April is s*xual assault awareness and prevention month and it feels disgusting knowing that once again, people must feel like they're living in fear of something like this happening to them. This month is meant for victims to feel supported and to encourage us to use voices.

I recommend checking RAINN which is a great website for finding resources when it comes to s*xual assault
https://www.rainn.org/ 
They also have a hotline for those who might need it
800-656-HOPE (4673)

Please use this as an opportunity to uplift and support victims of s*xual assault rather than to encourage more fear into the hearts of others. Please help amplify our voices as we work towards making this world safer for everyone. We deserve to be heard.