It is paramount that investigators understand the psychology of sexual assault victims because they may behave in counterintuitive ways for the situation, e.g., delayed response in reporting the claim.
Educate the team on how to spot issues
Consent is huge and I think its important to note that consent can be withdrawn at any time, prior consent does not mean that this instance was given consent, and the lack of fighting or saying no does not mean consent.
What I’ve Learned from the Prevention and Education Module
This module highlighted the critical role that prevention and education play in addressing sex-based harassment and sexual violence on campus. Here are the key takeaways:
Proactive Prevention: Prevention efforts must go beyond just responding to incidents. They should include continuous education on consent, bystander intervention, and the dynamics of sexual violence. By building awareness and understanding, institutions can help prevent incidents from happening in the first place.
Bystander Intervention: Training students, faculty, and staff to recognize potentially harmful situations and empowering them to step in safely is a crucial component of prevention. This not only promotes a culture of accountability but also encourages individuals to support one another.
Ongoing Education: Education about Title IX, VAWA, and institutional policies must be integrated into the campus culture. This means providing regular and mandatory training for all members of the campus community, including students, staff, and faculty, on topics like consent, harassment, and reporting procedures.
Inclusive and Accessible Education: Ensuring that educational programs are inclusive of all identities, including gender, sexual orientation, and disability, is essential for creating a safe and supportive environment. Additionally, making these programs accessible to students and employees in different formats ensures broad participation.
Collaboration and Partnership: Collaborating with campus departments (like student affairs, residence life, and campus safety), as well as local resources (such as crisis centers or law enforcement), strengthens prevention efforts and creates a comprehensive support network for students.
How I Intend to Apply This Learning
Advocate for Comprehensive Education: I will push for consistent, comprehensive, and mandatory training for all members of the campus community. This training should include information on consent, bystander intervention, and how to report and respond to incidents of harassment and violence.
Support Inclusive Practices: I plan to ensure that educational materials and prevention programs are inclusive and accessible to all students, regardless of their identity or background. This includes considering diverse learning styles and using varied communication methods.
Promote Bystander Intervention: I intend to promote and support bystander intervention training, encouraging students and staff to recognize and respond to potentially harmful situations. This will help build a stronger, more proactive campus community.
Foster Partnerships: I will seek opportunities to collaborate with both on-campus departments and off-campus resources to create a more robust prevention and response system for sexual violence and harassment.
Evaluate and Refine Programs: Prevention and education efforts need regular assessment and refinement. I plan to contribute to feedback and evaluation processes to ensure that our programs evolve to meet the needs of our campus community effectively.
By applying these strategies, I aim to foster a safer, more informed, and supportive environment for everyone on campus.
Having this knowledge is very helpful.
As in previous sections, this is very detail oriented and at times, redundant, but does afford clarity in terms of responsibilities by the institution.
Good reminder that definitions vary state to state. This material stresses equal treatment of victim and perpetrator. I wish the court system followed this. My daughter was sexually abused when she was 10 y/o by a man in his 40’s. Her counselor and we parents were no allowed in the courtroom. Her testimony was thrown out because in the police report she used the word (touched) and on the stand she used the word (fondled) which was interpreted as embellishing her testimony.
I learned a lot a from this section to include interim measures, remedial measures, sanctions, and information about dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, rape and consent. I thought it was very interesting to learn that students are at a higher risk for sexual assault for the first two years of school.
Great course, very detailed and informative on defining things like consent and when/how someone can help.
It is important to know that consent can be eliminated or withdrawn at any time!
Understanding the different measures that may be taken such as sanctions like mandatory counseling, no contact order and suspension.
I appreciate the knowledge of risk factors, both for educating students as well as my own children. The fact that the post-trauma victim response can mimic the appearance of "lying" is a powerful piece of knowledge and invokes the need to change opinions on nonverbal cues in these situations.
Comment on Tammy Hutcheson's post: Agreed Tammy. I feel as though students, staff and faculty should understand what consent is and means.
The meanings of consent. What it is and what it's not.
Educating staff and students about the policies is imperative.
All staff and students must be educated on sexual harassment, domestic violence, rape, and stalking. There also needs to be a known understanding of what consent looks like. This education must be ongoing to ensure there is an increased awareness on campus and for all students. Information provides a powerful tool to help prevent misconduct.
It is important that any potential victim feel they are able to confide in authorities and feel protected if faced with sexual assault/trauma or any type of sexual harassment
I will use the policy in regards to implementation of this and support the victim as much as possible with the training that I have as a nurse as well as educator
Retaliation is a big no! It is unlawful to retaliate against someone who has had the courage to speak up when an incident has occurred. And it is important for both students and staff to be educated.
