For 30 years, UC San Diego’s CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center has provided survivor support services and prevention education for campus sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking. Back in 1988, the center was known as the Student Safety Awareness Program and was staffed by one full-time employee and two student interns. Despite being a small team, CARE (Campus, Advocacy, Resources and Education) at the Sexual Assault Resource Center had a big impact. The program was one of the first holistic and stand-alone campus victim services programs within the UC system.
To celebrate their milestone anniversary and to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), the UC San Diego Library has teamed up with CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center for an exhibit that will highlight official announcements, press clippings, reference manuals and training materials that illustrate the evolution of this vital program on campus and violence prevention as a national movement. The exhibit will run from Tuesday, April 10 through Thursday, May 31 in Geisel Library West, 1st Floor, near the Research Assistance Desk.
SAAM events on campus include Succulents for SAAM April 17, Friends Supporting LGBTQIA+ Survivors April 18, Denim Day April 25, and more! A full calendar of events can be found here.
Campus sexual assault has been a frequent topic in the national consciousness during the past few years. The work of advocates and activists is rooted in decades of anti-violence work that goes much farther back than #MeToo, The Hunting Ground, Title IX and even the second wave feminist movement. Long before the most recent spotlight on campus sexual assault, dedicated UC San Diego students and staff had the foresight to establish a sexual assault prevention program. Throughout these 30 years, CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center has been an advocate for rape prevention, education, and victim services. The center has received over $1,000,000 in federal grants to support innovative violence prevention campaigns, increased the number of professional staff within the department and enhanced direct services for survivors.
If you’re seeking resources or crisis counseling, contact CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center at (858) 534-5793 during business hours Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reach CARE during non-business hours and on weekends, please call (858) 534-HELP.