Friday, April 1, marked the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), carrying on the 15-year tradition of the official observed month. Kent State sprung into action, with the Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services (SRVSS) on campus organizing and participating in events throughout the month.

SAAM covers a wide range of sexual violence toward men and women alike, but one aspect that has been addressed and will be addressed in the future is human trafficking. On campus, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion held an annual Women in Leadership symposium that covered the topic, while the College of Communication and Information (CCI) also hosted a forum.

On Monday evening UNCHAINED will host an anti-trafficking fashion show that will narrate the experiences of a victim through modeled garments.

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, from 2007 to 2015, there have been over 25,000 reported cases of human trafficking. While victims are trafficked for different purposes, sexual trafficking is the biggest one.

While all aspects of sexual abuse are equally important to SAAM, trafficking is a large aspect of sexual violence that can be overlooked. It is important that every form of violence is brought to light.