Student Activists in Sexual Assault Prevention

The million dollar question in higher education has always been “How do we engage students?” We have theories to explain the benefit of engagement, yet when the moment comes to put on an event many times the students do not show up. During this month of April, as we put on sexual assault events, we need students present. So how can we do this? We need to find our foot soldiers. When we find the students who are passionate, we need to trust them, train them, and allow them to train other students.

Now with the renewing of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the inclusion of the Campus SaVE Act within VAWA, universities are required to provide education to students. Many universities are turning to online programs in order to reach the masses. This initial virtual interaction with students will help you find your foot soldiers. The modules allow you to include your contact information. Work with the provider to allow you to customize your message to your students. Let them know you are looking for students voices in this important topic. If you have a welcoming week, develop brochures with contact information and possible trainings. With the Huffington post dedicating an entire section on Campus Sexual Assault and with student lead organizations such as Know Your IX garnering national media, you will have students coming to campus with the passion to work on this topic. Make yourself know from the beginning so they do not lose interest.      

Once you have the beginnings of your foot soldiers, you need to train them. What should the trainings look like? Trainings should take a multiple step approach. It should not be a one and done session. When you train students, you must first focus on the statistics and then explaining the difference between hooking up and sexual assault. As administrators we have come to learn that the moment we disseminate the information, we lose interest. Students live in the culture of hooking up. Many weekend nights they pregame, and leave their homes with the mindset that they will find a sexual partner for the night. The problem arises when students become intoxicated and a hookup becomes an assault. Many students do not understand the relationship of alcohol and sexual assault. They do not understand that once your blood alcohol consumption level gets passed a certain point a person is unable to consent. For those curious that number, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, falls between .07-.12. This blood alcohol level is dependent on gender and weight, but relatively falls in line with binge drinking (5 drinks for men and 4 drinks for women). With one in six college students binge drinking at least four times a month, we need to raise this awareness and tie the education with sexual assault education.

Once our students are made aware of sexual assault, they need to be provided with the tools to stand up. Bystander intervention provides students with the confidence to identify an incident on a continuum and intervene. Our student leaders are aware that sexual assault is an issue affecting them and their peers. They are told they play an active role in prevention, yet they are not given the tools to act on this role. A bystander approach can teach bystanders how to intervene in situations that involve sexual violence to stop the widespread problem of sexual violence across campuses and other communities. It involves programming that trains groups of individuals and makes strides toward a broader community approach to prevention. It is based on studies that point to the role of community norms as a significant cause of sexual violence, particularly in communities like college campuses. Using the bystander approach, communities can address behaviors before sexual violence has been perpetrated versus after someone has been harmed.

Many universities follow the trend of peer educations teaching on a range of topics. They are a diverse group of students who are trained to teach fellow students about pertinent health issues in a positive, interactive, and nonjudgmental manner. Topics range from alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, nutrition/body image/eating disorders, sexual assault prevention and education, and stress management. Badura, Millard, Peluso, and Ortman (2000) found positive results from all the students who were engaged, this included the peer educators themselves and the recipients. The increases in skills were seen in leadership, health knowledge, and active involvement in changing personal health behaviors after completing peer education. A 2007 report by Stein found that peer educators and close friends served as positive influence on college students willing to prevent rape. Stein found a significant difference in men’s willingness to empathize and acknowledge acts of sexual assault when this information came from a peer. Knowing the students are strongly affected by one another, we need to move away from the singular trainings focused on the statistics and resources and enrich them to include bystander intervention.

Once students are trained, they need action items in order to engage them. There are several national campaigns that you can bring to your campus. Depending on how many foot soldiers, you can bring a high level activity to your campus or hold a simple social media campaign. If you are able to recruit Greek life and student organizations, one of the most popular events on campuses is Take Back the Night. These marches take place after dark and make a statement that women have the right to be in public at night without the risk of sexual violence. Another great campaign is the Clothesline project. People affected by violence decorate a shirt and hang it on a public clothesline as testimony to the problem of sexual violence. Many times students are afraid to create the first t-shirt, hence check with your local rape crisis center to see if they are willing to donate pre-created t-shirts. Social media tools can help spread awareness and advocate for social change. Use hashtags to jump into or start conversations on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram. For example, use #SAAM, which stands for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, during the month of April. On Facebook, post articles and share events to get your friends in the know.

Regardless of what event you choose to host, make sure it is your student leaders getting out the word, attending the chapter meetings for the Greek organizations to encourage participants, and allowing students to design the events. Students react positively to one another and are more willing to attend because they feel as though a peer is holding them accountable. Trust in your students, they are the ones who will encourage others to play a crucial role. 

Ivonne G. Ramirez
Program Associate, College/University Relationships
American Association of University Women
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