April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and some local advocates have launched a monthlong campaign aimed at raising public consciousness of the issue.

AW/ARE, Mercer County's domestic violence and sexual assault crisis agency, has begun its Stoplight Campaign, which is geared toward collegians who frequent various entertainment venues.

Mary Keck, AW/ARE's sexual assault prevention coordinator, said it is imperative for victims of sexual violence to know that there are resources available to them.

"It's really important that they recognize there are people in the community who are supportive and will be there for them," she said.

Ms. Keck said sexual violence is not just a female problem; men and children are often victimized as well.

According to the Injury Fact Book 2001-02 Web page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site, sexual violence is a sex act completed or attempted against a victim's will or when a victim is unable to consent due to age, illness, disability or the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

The act, according to the site, may involve actual or threatened physical force, use of weapons, duress or intimidation.

Sexual violence also includes intentional touching of intimate body parts against a victim's will or when a victim is unable to consent.

The perpetrator of sexual violence may be a stranger, friend, family member, or other intimate partner.

The CDC estimates that 683,000 rapes take place each year, but only 16 percent of victims report offenses to police, according to the Web site.

The Stoplight program, which features cocktail napkins and posters containing messages regarding the links between sexual violence and drugs and alcohol, is intended for men and women.

The program materials were developed by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.

Some participating establishments also have actual stoplights set up with messages from the coalition attached.

According to the coalition's Web site, the National Institute of Justice in 2000 estimated that about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience a sexual assault during their lifetime.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics for that same year estimated that 7 in 10 rape and sexual assault victims knew their attacker before being assaulted, according to the Web site.

Bob DiBartolomeo, owner of Jai Alai, a Hermitage nightspot that has put up a Stoplight display, said he had no objections to displaying the setup because the issue is important, especially during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

"I didn't mind it at all," he said. "If it helps one or more people, then it's a success," he said.

Victims of sexual violence may call AW/ARE's 24-hour crisis hot line at (888) 981-1457.