Sexual Assault Awareness Program

1. Sexual Assault Awareness Program Victoria Chan, Will Evans, Kelsey Morrissey, Rebecca Whitley University of West Georgia

2. Reason for Task Force • To ensure campus properly handles sexual misconduct • To ensure that all policies are being met on campus • To create a functioning program for sexual assault education and collaboration on campus

3. Defining Sexual Assault “A wide range of victimizations, separate from rape or attempted rape. These crimes include attacks or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact between victim and offender. Sexual assaults may or may not involve force and include such things as grabbing or fondling. It also includes verbal threats”(Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013).

4. Defining the Need Why sexual assault deserves attention: • 37% of women raped were first raped between the ages of 18 and 24 (Black, Basile, Breiding, Smith, Walters, Merrick, Chen, Stevens, 2011). • 19% of undergraduate women experienced completed or attempted sexual assault (Krebs, Linquist, Warner, Fisher, Martin, 2009). • 60% of sexual assaults go unreported (U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Stastics, 2013).

5. Defining the Need Defining the unique needs of sexual assault victims: • Students, faculty, and staff being aware of victim’s rights • Legal issues/Incarceration • Under informed service providers • Substance Abuse Stemming from assault • Mental Disorders stemming from assault • Ability to feel safe at all times • Physical boundary concerns and issues stemming from assault • Control issues • Barriers to help

6. How We Solve the Problem • The sexual assault victim paradigm must be changed so the environment where the topic of sex and sexual rights is more comfortable to talk about, not just between students but with faculty/staff as well. • The characteristics of the policies and proceduresneed to be reasonably understood by staff, faculty, and students. • Provide students who are sexually assaulted with clear policies, embracing support, and helpful services reconnect them to the university.

7. Changing the Paradigm Campus Ecology • People tend to behave similarly in similar environments. • The environment shapes the behaviors of the population (Barker, 1968). • Bakers’s (1968) behavior-setting theory provides theoretical incentives to changing how sexual assault is portrayed and thought about on college campuses. • If Student Affairs professionals alongside faculty and staff can create a positive sexual conduct environment then we can better predict and evaluate student behavior toward sexual assault.

8. Changing the Paradigm Campus Ecology • Create ways where police officers and university officials are viewed less like authority figures and more like support members • Offer free, open, and educational opportunities for students, which provides transparent information about sexual assault laws, regulations, and campus procedures

9. Changing the Paradigm Campus Ecology • Develop campaigns which advocate and define healthy sexual behaviors and activities as well as consent • Engage students, faculty, and staff in the policy making process to define sexual misconduct, consent, and consequences • Promote prevention efforts centered around consent as this is the key determinant normally used in defining assault and a term with great ambiguity on college campuses (K. Jozkowski, Z. Peterson, 2013).

10. Changing the Paradigm Through Social Media #LetsChatConsent Social Media Campaign will utilize free social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote the campaign. To successfully reach the audience: • Post three times a day regarding sexual assault and initiatives taking place on campus. • Identify High Click Rates for #LetsChatConsent and posts accordingly during peak hours for engagement. • Calendar plan by utilizing scheduling websites like 'Hootsuite' and 'Facebook scheduling' to plan ahead.

11. Changing the Paradigm Through Social Media • To promote conversation about sexual assault, keywords have been identified for the campus community to form sentences and phrases about what consent means to them. #LetsChatConsent Social Media Campaign

12. Changing the Paradigm Through Social Media Intentional Marketing • Intentional and witty flyers will be created and posted throughout the campus (inside bathroom stalls, residence halls, student centers, dining halls, and on social media networks) to provide factual knowledge about sexual assault. Statistics found at http://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/statistics

13. Reasonably Understood Policies and Procedures • Policies and procedures need to be written in a way that are informative but not accusatory • Students, staff, and faculty will have a partnership in defining these policies and procedures • These procedures need to be posted in all Residence Halls, Classroom Buildings, Student Activity Facilities, in the Student Handbook, and easily accessible online • Policies and procedures should reflect the rights of the victim

14. Reasonably Understood Policies and Procedures: Student, Parent, and Friends Resources • Create a website which is an all informative site about sexual assault • Provide step-by-step guide for how to proceed if sexually assaulted • Provide resources to campus support services and administration • Provide supportive information for friends and family to be a part of the healing process

15. Reasonably Understood Policies and Procedures: Staff Development • Sexual Assault policies and procedures will become part of annual staff and faculty training requirements • At least one professional development meeting per year will be used for the topic of sexual assault

16. Reasonably Understood Policies and Procedures: Staff Development • Training will provide realistic scenarios and case study exercises to ensure all employees know how to assist student victims in the proper way • Brief introduction to counseling theories is also included. e.g. feminist theory • Provide a university sexual assault timeline for every staff/faculty member to increase knowledge of what each faculty/ staff member’s role is in the event of helping a student victim

17. Reconnection to the University Once a student endures a sexual assault, students have two options: 1) Becoming reclusive and closed off 2) Embracing campus support and services THE GOAL IS TO HAVE EVERY STUDENT EMBRACE CAMPUS SUPPORT AND SERVICES

18. Reconnection to the University: Astin’s Involvement Theory Astin’s (1999) Theory of Student Involvement Input + Environment→ Outcome Example: A student was sexual assaulted + An understanding and helpful campus staff→ Student trusting the university enough to progress and graduate

19. Reconnection to the University • Policies and Procedures will be holistic, inclusive, and supportive of the student victim who is transitioning through mis-trust to trust of others and university • This, as well as a sexually educated campus ecology, will create an environment that is welcoming and supportive for the student victim • Student victims will be more willing to involve campus services as part of the healing process • i.e. instead of a victim using avoidance coping strategies (Littleton, H., Breitkopf, C., 2006). • Campus involvement will yield healthier student outcomes

20. Reconnection to the University Schlossberg’s (1981) Transition Theory An unanticipated event (sexual assault) causes a transition to occur. The adaptation the student makes due to the unanticipated event is dictated by their perception of the transition as well as their surrounding environment and personal, individual characteristics. • An institution can offer support through each aspect of the adaptation. We will examine Social Support, Academic Support, Counseling Support, and Administrative Support. All of these support mechanisms create a caring and open environment to aid the student while adapting to their current situation.

21. Reconnection to the University • Social Support • Introducing a trained student mentor program in which a mentor follows a student victim through the rest of his or her undergraduate experience • Connecting student victim with student organizations that center around sexual assault awareness and advocacy • Creating opportunities for students to participate in national campaigns about sexual assault awareness • e.g. “Take Back the Night” Campaign

22. Reconnection to the University • Academic Support • Counseling services in collaboration with Academic Affairs to bring awareness of the student’s situation • Informing student victims of their options in terms of class schedules for current and future semesters

23. Reconnection to the University • Counseling Support • Offer free and consistent counseling services to the student victim • 24-7 Support System via hotlines, anonymous emails, texting services, and social media • The option to have the victim's peers and family included in counseling sessions • Provide the right to confidential and compassionate care by the counseling services department

24. Reconnection to the University • Administrative Support • Creating opportunities for students to connect to the administrative figures involved during and after the reporting/judicial process • Involve administrative figures in social media campaign efforts to increase awareness and transparency

25. Ending Sexual Assault on Our Campus • The paradigm of sexual assault must be changed on campus. • This will require inter-departmental collaboration • Newly designed educational programs will be developed to inform students on consent, assault, bystander effect, and individual rights of all students to create a positive sexual campus ecology

26. Ending Sexual Assault on Our Campus • Easily understood policies and procedures will be updated and implemented with easy access to the policies and procedures made available. • Faculty, staff, and students will be active members in designing these policies • All policies will meet federal and state laws • Policies and procedures will be available on an all inclusive website

27. Ending Sexual Assault on Our Campus • Student support will encourage any victim to reach out to campus resources and services • Support and services will consequently allow the student to reconnect to campus and encourage positive progress, retention, and graduation

28. References Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518-529. Barker, R. G. (1968). Ecological psychology: Concepts and methods for studying the environment of human behavior. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., & Chen, J., Stevens, M.R. (2010). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS):2010 summary report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2011. Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2013). Criminal Victimization, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv12.pdf Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2013). Rape and sexual assault. Retrieved from http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=317 Get the facts and figures. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/statistics/ Jozkowski, K. N., Peterson, Z. D. (2013). College students and sexual consent: Unique insights. Journal of Sex Research, 50(6), 517-523. Krebs, C,P., Linquist, C.H., Warner, T.D., Fisher, B.S., Martin, S.L. (2009). College women’s experiences with physically forced,alcohol-or other drug-enabled, and drug-facilitated sexual assault before and since entering college. Journal of American College Health, 57(6), 639-647.

29. References Littleton, H., Breitkopf, C. (2006). Coping with the experience of rape. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 106-116. Schlossberg, N.K., (1981). A model for analyzing human adaptation to transition. Counseling Psychologist, 9(2), 2-18.

30. Thank you for your consideration!