For most college students, the month of April is the last stretch of the academic school year, filled with all-nighters and cram sessions for finals.

For others, like music therapy senior Chris Beamon, April is the month of the year dedicated to combating an abuse that he personally suffered: sexual violence.

“Sexual assault is still an issue and doesn’t simply disappear after supportive events like Take Back the Night. It’s still ongoing,” he said.

Beamon is not alone.

The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault program, reports that every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted. One in six women and one in 33 men will experience sexual abuse in their lifetime.

Loyola University New Orleans’ Sexual Non-Violence Week, held April 16 to 20, aimed to decrease these numbers.

This week’s programs were designed to bring awareness of these issues to the Loyola community, initiate open discourse and bring healing to the victims of sexual assault because the tragedy lasts long after the incident.

RAINN reports that victims are three times more likely to suffer psychiatric disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs and four times more likely to contemplate suicide.

More than half of sexual assault victims, often scared and ashamed, will tell no one of the incident.

Beamon said he believes the feelings of isolation he, as well as many other victims, experienced are because of the low reporting rates.

“There are a lot of stigmas, especially for men. There’s a very low statistic of men being sexually assaulted, but that’s because they don’t report them. The numbers are very skewed for both men and women,” he said.

Beamon, a keynote speaker for Take Back the Night and trained advocate, said the Loyola programs during Sexual Non-Violence Week served as a therapeutic experience, helping him to heal through sharing his experience with others.

“It helped me to literally express the situation and not let it build up anymore. I became an advocate because I didn’t want someone to feel the isolation that I felt,” he said.

Karen Reichard, director of the Women’s Resource Center, said she believes the week is very important for not only Loyola, but college campuses nationwide.

“In accordance with Loyola values, we view sexual violence not as a personal issue, but as a social problem and and a social justice issue,” Reichard said.

Sociology professor Julia D’Antonio Del-Rio agreed.

“Living in a society where such violence not only occurs, but is often tolerated if not applauded by some, affects all of us. It’s not just the victims who have to work through this – we all need to affect changes that will help to curb violence,” she said.

Students who would like to talk to someone about these issues are encouraged to visit the many resources on campus such as the Health and Consoling Center, the Women’s Resource Center or Students Advocates for Gender Equality, the members of which have undergone advocacy training.

“You are not alone. There is someone to talk to,” Beamon said.

Jennie Gutierrez can be reached at [email protected]