According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience sexual violence at similar or higher rates than heterosexuals.

For LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault, their identities – and the discrimination they face surrounding those identities – often make them hesitant to seek help from police, hospitals, shelters or rape crisis centers, the very resources that are supposed to help them.

International students are an at risk group when it comes to sexual assault for a variety of reasons.

• Vulnerability due to inexperience with culture

• Language and/or cultural barriers

• Fear of prejudice and discrimination

• Pressures of performing well academically

Countries and cultures around the world have varying standards to determine what is unacceptable or criminal sexual behavior, so it is important to know the rules in the United States - and it all starts with consent.

The experiences of survivors of color often get dismissed or invalidated. In order to prevent sexual violence, all voices need to be heard, addressed, and validated.

There has been a long history of sexual violence toward individuals of colors. Many statistics of sexual assault often excludes individuals of color; while 80% of rapes are reported by white womxn, womxn of color are more likely to be assaulted more than white womxn.

Every 73 seconds, someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S.

This means that even if you haven’t personally had an experience with sexual violence, it’s likely that you know someone who has.

Talking about sexual assault can be difficult. For many survivors, the reaction of the first person they disclose to, often a friend or family member, can have a huge effect on their healing process.

Being an active bystander is something that everyone can do in a variety of ways. The core way to be an active bystander is to notice the situation, interpret it as a problem, feel responsible to act, know what to do, and then intervene safely.

Seeing yourself as a part of the solution can help end domestic violence and sexual assault.