When is Sexual Assault Awareness Month?
Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2027
Thu, Apr 1, 2027 – Fri, Apr 30, 2027
The whole of April. That's in 179 days.
until Sexual Assault Awareness Month begins, in your time zone
Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an April campaign to raise awareness of sexual violence, support survivors, and teach communities how to prevent harassment, abuse and assault. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has coordinated it nationally since 2001.
About Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Each April, rape crisis centers, colleges, schools, workplaces and advocacy groups hold events and share materials on consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention and how to support survivors. Teal is the month's official color, and the first Tuesday in April is a national Day of Action when supporters are encouraged to wear teal.
The month builds on decades of grassroots work by survivors and advocates, including the rape crisis centers and Take Back the Night marches that spread in the 1970s. The aim is not only to support people after an assault but to change the attitudes and conditions that allow sexual violence to happen, which is why prevention, consent education and safer online spaces have all been yearly focuses.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), founded in 2000, coordinated the first national Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2001, and April 2026 marked the campaign's 25th anniversary. Each year the NSVRC releases a theme along with free materials for local organizers; the 2024 theme, for example, was Building Connected Communities. In 2009 Barack Obama became the first president to proclaim April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and presidential proclamations have followed in later years.
Confidential help is available at any hour from the National Sexual Assault Hotline, operated by RAINN: call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online through rainn.org. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
Sources: National Sexual Violence Resource Center: 20 Events That Shaped Sexual Violence Prevention in the Last 20 Years, National Sexual Violence Resource Center: NSVRC Marks 25th Anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month Campaign, RAINN: National Sexual Assault Hotline. How we check dates.
How to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Wear teal on the Day of Action, the first Tuesday in April, and share the National Sexual Assault Hotline number, 800-656-4673.
- Take a bystander intervention workshop at school or work to learn safe ways to step in, such as creating a distraction or getting help from someone in charge.
- Talk with children and teens, in age-appropriate ways, about consent, body autonomy and trusted adults they can go to.
- Volunteer with or donate to a local rape crisis center; many train volunteers to staff hotlines or accompany survivors at hospitals.
- If someone tells you they were assaulted, believe them, listen, and let them choose what to do next.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month dates
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Tue, Apr 1 – Wed, Apr 30 |
| 2026 | Wed, Apr 1 – Thu, Apr 30 |
| 2027 | Thu, Apr 1 – Fri, Apr 30 |
| 2028 | Sat, Apr 1 – Sun, Apr 30 |
| 2029 | Sun, Apr 1 – Mon, Apr 30 |
| 2030 | Mon, Apr 1 – Tue, Apr 30 |
| 2031 | Tue, Apr 1 – Wed, Apr 30 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2027?
Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2027 is Thu, Apr 1, 2027 – Fri, Apr 30, 2027. It falls on the whole of April. In 2028, it is on Saturday, April 1, 2028.
What color is Sexual Assault Awareness Month?
Teal. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center encourages supporters to wear teal, especially on the Day of Action on the first Tuesday of April.
Where can survivors get help?
In the US, call RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online at rainn.org, 24 hours a day. The service is free and confidential.
Is Sexual Assault Awareness Month a public holiday?
No. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.