It's Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the theme this year is "Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity." You may have heard that there are inequities in rates of sexual violence, but what does that mean? Sexual violence is a common experience. At least 16% of young people in Minnesota experience sexual violence by 11th grade. However, some communities are targeted for victimization at much greater rates than others. In Minnesota, higher rates of victimization are experienced by LGBTQ+ youth, BIPOC youth, youth with disabilities, youth in foster care, youth who experience food insecurity or housing instability, and youth whose parent or guardian has been incarcerated. We can prevent sexual violence by making meaningful change in our communities to build equity. This means addressing the root causes of violence, such as racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and colonialism. Visit The National Violence Resource Center to learn more and find out how you and your comm...