April 2013 - Hands Don't Hurt

2nd Annual "These Hands Don't Hurt" Fair

April 16, 2013
10am to 3pm

These hands dont hurt

“These Hands Don’t Hurt” violence awareness and prevention is held at San Diego State University every April during National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The event was created by Julie-Anne Brou as her 2011 SDSU Homecoming Queen service project. The mission of the fair is to increase awareness and understanding of all forms of violence through education and community engagement.

Empowering Victims

It also provides life saving resources to help empower violence victims to break their silence and end the violence.

Julie-Anne is very passionate about advocating for victims of abuse because she grew up in a household with domestic violence. Said Julie-Anne, “my exposure to domestic violence drives me to help prevent anyone else from experiencing the horrific abuse that my mother once did.”

All forms of violence are unacceptable including sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, bullying, or gang related. “These Hands Don’t Hurt” fair aims to address all of forms of violence with an emphasis on sexual assault. Research has proven that sexual assault represents the most rapidly growing violent crime in America and it needs to be addressed, especially among college students.

Shocking Statistics

Some shocking statistics:

  • 1 in 4 college women will experience sexual assault during her academic career. (Hirsch, 1990)
  • Women between the ages of 16-24 years have the highest victimization rates in the country. (Bureau of Justice, 1990)
  • At least 80% of all sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance of the victim. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001)
  • 48.8% of college women who were victims of attacks that met the study’s definition of rape did not consider what happened to them rape. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000)
  • In a survey of high school students, 56% of girls and 76% of boys [some of whom may be incoming college freshmen] believed forced sex was acceptable under some circumstances. (Acquaintance Rape: The Hidden Crime, 1991)
  • When looking at college students, 74% of perpetrators and 55% of rape victims had been drinking alcohol prior to the assault. (Koss, 1988)
  • Rape or sexual assault was the violent crime least often reported to law enforcement (28%). (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000)
  • Only 16% of rapes are ever reported to the police. In a survey of victims who do not report rape or attempted rape to the police, the following was found as to why no report was made: 43% thought nothing could be done, 27% felt it was a private matter, 12% were afraid of police response, and 12% felt it was not important enough. (Kirkpatrick, et al., 1992)

Student Organizations Urged to Participate!

This fair is geared towards decreasing these statistics and changing the perception of the college culture by making it less tolerant of violence in any form.

Groups and organizations are encouraged to participate, but the deadline is fast approaching.

If you choose to participate, your organization will receive the following at the event: one table with a canopy, two chairs, and one SDSU parking permit. While participating in the fair your organization will be able to hand out information, advertise the services that your organization offers, recruit volunteers, and any other creative ideas you may come up with that align with the mission of the fair. Please keep in mind that university rules prevent you from selling anything on campus. It is completely FREE to reserve a table at the fair for your organization so don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

If your organization would like a table at the Second Annual These Hands Don’t Hurt violence awareness and prevention fair, please RSVP by March 31 to [email protected].

Please do not hesitate to email us if you have any questions about the event. You can also visit our Youtube page and watch a video from last year's fair at www.youtube.com/TheseHandsDontHurt.