Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program

The Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program (RSAPP) was created to reduce the statewide incidence of rape and sexual assault and improve service delivery to victims of this violent criminal act.  In order to accomplish these objectives, RSAPP developed collaborative relationships with the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Department of Human Resources, the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc.(MCASA), and the Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action (CSMH) at the University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMB).

There are two main components of the Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program:  a school-based component and a community-based component.

  • School-Based Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention

The partnership between the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is the foundation of the Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention Program.  The school-based Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention Program focuses on the prevention of bullying, teasing, harassment, sexual abuse, rape and dating violence in the lives of Maryland youth.  Students in all 24 local jurisdictions receive at least some education on these topics as part of the Comprehensive School Health Education Curriculum.  Fourteen local jurisdictions participate with DHMH/MSDE in providing an enhanced educational program for students.  Participating systems receive funds for teacher and staff training, curriculum materials, and for targeted activities related to rape and sexual assault prevention.  These systems provide intervention to elementary, middle and high school students.  The following school districts are currently participating in the program:

Allegany County Charles County
Anne Arundel County Frederick County
Baltimore City Garrett County
Baltimore County Harford County
Calvert County St. Mary’s County
Carroll County Prince George's County
Cecil County Wicomico County

  • Community-Based Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention

    • In collaboration with the Maryland Department of Human Resources, DHMH provides financial support to the state's eighteen (18) rape recovery centers for prevention education and awareness services administered in the community.  The rape recovery centers provide educational seminars, hotline services, training programs for professionals, print materials and other resources to increase awareness regarding rape and sexual assault.  In addition, the centers are part of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc. (MCASA) which functions as the umbrella organization for rape recovery centers throughout the state.  MCASA advocates for improved victim services and victims' rights through education, program assistance and legislation on a statewide level.

The Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program also supports additional initiatives to reduce the incidence of rape and sexual assault and improve services for victims of sexual crimes in Maryland.  Current special projects include:

  • Data Collection

    • In partnership with the Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action (CSMHA) at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, DHMH conducted the Sexual Assault Needs Assessment Project (SNAP), which was completed in December 2002.  SNAP is a public health initiative designed to determine and assess the state’s needs in rape and sexual assault victim service provision.  The project is dedicated to identifying gaps in services and helping to develop strategies to improve sexual assault programs and facilities throughout Maryland.  To our knowledge this is the first comprehensive statewide survey of sexual assault victims and sexual assault crisis centers conducted in Maryland.  The findings of this study offer valuable information about the characteristics of the victims, the nature of sexual assault and its sequelae, and the availability and quality of sexual assault services within Maryland.  These results have important implications for future efforts aimed at prevention strategies, public health interventions, and educational efforts.

Click here to view the Sexual Assault Needs Assessment Project Executive Summary

  • Media Campaign

    • A major recommendation of the SNAP initiative was development of a media campaign aimed at the general public to heighten awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault and to educate the public on various forms of assistance available to victims.  The goal of the Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program Media Campaign is threefold:

    1) to increase awareness of the incidence of rape and sexual assault,
    2) to dispel myths and misperceptions about sexual assault, and
    3) to publicize the assistance services and resources available to victims in the state in an effort to prevent any initial and/or subsequent sexual assaults. 

    In Phase I of the project, Shugoll Research identified three main message concepts, and media channels as a result of focus group testing and literature review. Currently in Phase II, Sahara Communications has been chosen to develop the creative collateral to market the recommended messages in a statewide media campaign. 

    For more information on the media campaign, go to www.rapenomore.com.

  • Program Evaluation

Evaluation is an essential component of health education program implementation.  Stemming from the SNAP initiative, DHMH partnered with the Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action (CSMHA) at the University of Maryland at Baltimore to evaluate the school-based Sexual Harrassment/Assault Prevention Program. The goal of the evaluation was to identify best practices in school-based rape and sexual assault prevention education. The Executive Summary of the evaluation will soon be available on the website.