April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Attleboro Public Library has partnered with New Hope, a local non-profit organization whose mission is “Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence in Our Community,” to provide information, books and resources for local residents.
There are items on display in the Marble Lobby from The Clothesline Project, where women affected by violence, express their emotions by decorating a shirt, which is then 
hung on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) evolved from protests held in England in the 1970s highlighting the violence women faced going out at night. These protests evolved into “Take Back the Night” marches, first held in the US in 1978 to bring awareness to this issue. By the late 1980s, The National Coalition Against Sexual Assault proposed a week in April to bring national attention to the issue of Sexual Assault and by the late 1990s it had 
transformed into a month of education and awareness
The White House issues Presidential Proclamations highlighting the month and to provide awareness to this issue. Additionally, President Obama launched the “It’s On Us” campaign in the Fall of 2014 to end sexual assault on college campuses.
Sexual assault violence affects women, men, and children of every age, background, and belief. Almost 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States have suffered rape and nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced sexual violence victimization other than rape at some point in their lifetime.
There are incredibly helpful local and national organizations available to assist with all types of information, assistance and advice. You are not alone. Please see below, or our Pinterest page for useful links and book titles.
Resources
New Hope http://www.newhope.org/ Toll-Free, 24-Hour Hotline at 1-800-323-HOPE (4673)
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center http://www.nsvrc.org/
National Sexual Assault Hotline | 1.800.656.HOPE(4673)
Joyful Heart Foundation http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/
The Violence Recovery Program (VRP) at Fenway Health http://fenwayhealth.org/care/behavioral-health/vrp/
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) https://rainn.org/
