As Pride Month comes to a close, we wanted to put out one final message that stands this month and every month.

June 15th, 2020 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It can be hard to imagine anyone deliberately causing harm to an elderly person, however, unfortunately, elder abuse does happen. Elderly deserve our respect as their memories and experiences in life are valuable lessons for our youth. In many cultures across the world in fact, the elderly are revered. Yet in modern America, aging has been reduced to a biological process to be feared rather than a privilege and caring for an aging relative a financial burden, placing stress upon a family. The impact is the rise of “ageism” with people seeing less value in those who are older. These prevailing attitude puts the elderly at risk of being taken advantage of and mistreated.

This coming April marks the 19th National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. While it may be hard to think about in the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis, it is important to remember that sexual violence is also a global health issue.

Teen Dating Violence: Three Common Challenges in Prevention

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Stalking impacts 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men in the United States and often co-occurs with physical and sexual violence. In an age of rapidly developing and transforming technology, stalking has become more personal, more invasive, and more difficult for survivors to escape, making it critical to be informed and understand how to keep oneself safe.