Denim Day: April 27, 2022

Greetings Readers!

Break out your jeans, jean jackets, and/or overalls this April to raise awareness about and honor the victims of sexual violence. The month of April has been recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) for over 20 years. “Denim Day” is a campaign honored internationally on a Wednesday every year of SAAM and will take place this year on Wednesday, April 27.

The Story of Denim Day

Trigger Warning – Sexual Assault

The campaign stems from an unjust ruling by the Italian Supreme Court in 1992. An 18-year-old girl attended her first driving lesson and was raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor. Although she reported the assault and the perpetrator was convicted of rape and sentenced to jail, years later the driving instructor appealed the conviction claiming that the sex was consensual between both parties.  The Italian Supreme court overturned the conviction and released the perpetrator and stated that since the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, thereby implying consent. The women in the Italian Parliament were enraged and launched a protest by wearing jeans and standing on the steps of the Supreme Court the very next day. Seven years later, Denim Day was born in Los Angeles by Peace Over Violence as an annual protest against all the myths for why women and girls are raped in April 1999.

Sexual Violence – Children and Teens: The Statistics

  • Every 9 minutes, child protective services find evidence for a claim of child sexual abuse.

  • One in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.

  • Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

  • Among cases of child sexual abuse reported to law enforcement, 93% of perpetrators are known to the victim.

How YOU Can be a Prevention Partner:

  • Help raise awareness by wearing as much denim as possible on Wednesday, April 27! Encourage others in your life to join you!

  • Post yourself wearing denim to social media explaining Denim Day to your followers or post about the Denim Day story with the hashtags #DenimDay and #DenimDay2022

  • Believe survivors of sexual violence. Never blame the victim or make excuses for the perpetrator.

Check out these resources for more information:

If you are experiencing or have experienced sexual violence, you are not alone. There are resources for you:

    • National Child Abuse Hotline: 1.800.422.4453
    • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.7233
    • Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network: 1.800.656.4673
    • National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: 1.866.331.9474

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.8255