Teen Survivors Week of Action

Girls ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault (US Department of Justice) and one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18 (CDC). PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment is hosting their 3rd Annual Teen Survivors Week of Action (April 26-May 1) to help prevent these crimes through education and promote healing during the last week of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.

Led by an advisory group of teens, PAVE has partnered with many leading organizations who are working to eradicate sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking, including: No More, National Organization for Victim Assistance, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, End Rape on Campus, I Have the Right To, Every Voice Coalition, Sexual Assault Youth Support Network, ICTSOS, TESSA of Colorado Springs, Deaf Overcoming Violence Through Empowerment, and many others.

PAVE works across the country and internationally to provide education on gender-based violence and empowers survivors to thrive after trauma. One of PAVE's Teen Advisory Board Activists is Abrianna Morales. After being sexually assaulted at age 15, Abrianna founded Sexual Assault Youth Support Network (SAYSN) and was crowned Miss New Mexico's Outstanding Teen 2018. She is passionate about supporting fellow teen survivors and working to eradicate sexual violence.

Abrianna said, "As a teen survivor, activist, and advocate, I understand what it feels like to overcome the adversity of sexual violence and the importance of educating teens about it. Making this information accessible means meeting teens where they are, which is online. This campaign—guided and supported by PAVE, one of the leading national organizations tackling these issues—is led by teens, for teens. Teen Survivors Week of Action provides ways for students to remain socially involved while being physically distant and includes education about consent, healthy relationships, and more!"

This week is dedicated to promoting and supporting the voices of teen advocates through engaging toolkits, events, and calls to action. This initiative also includes interactive videos and discussion points for parents to help talk to their teens about consent, healthy relationships, challenging victim blaming, and self-care.

PAVE is a movement creating a world free from sexual violence and building communities to support survivors. PAVE empowers students, parents, and civic leaders to end sexual violence. Since 2001, PAVE has trained over 500,000 college students, over 15,000 professionals including military, and has reached millions through social and traditional media. For more information on their work, please visit ShatteringTheSilence.org.

To become the movement by bringing positive change to your community this Teen Survivors Week of Action, please visit: TeenSurvivors.org.

Source URL - https://www.newswire.com/news/teen-survivors-week-of-action-21377760

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