Sexual assault is considered the biggest threat to the safety of college students in the USA, a national epidemic, and a serious and complex public health problem (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014; Higashiyama, 2016). Keeping college campuses safe for everyone requires a full understanding of the ways that sexual assault is conceptualized at individual and different levels of society.
Starting the Education Process Before College is Key
Our program is designed to help high school students in the 11th and 12th grades to build an acute sense of awareness and preparedness as they begin to explore options and opportunities for post-secondary education. It is designed with the expectation that these students will be searching the internet, with their parents or other supporting adults, looking for educational institutions that suit their goals and needs. An important element of their search criteria should include an assessment of a college’s sexual assault case history, prevention programs, disclosure and reporting records, and survivor support services.
Most campus sexual assault prevention programs are provided by colleges and universities for students who are already in college, albeit in their freshman year. There is evidence to suggest that this may be too late to build the skills and competencies needed for prevention, as evidenced by the continued rise in sexual assault cases on campuses throughout the country. Successful prevention programs need to begin much earlier, integrated into developmentally appropriate education and community programs that build social skills which empower youth from an early age to:
- value their safety and the safety of others
- communicate positively and seek help and advice from parents or other responsible adults
- understand the importance of personal boundaries and expectations
- value diversity, equality, justice, and inclusiveness
- demonstrate self-esteem, empathy, and sensitivity
- demonstrate integrity, responsibility, and restraint, and
- recognize and resist negative peer pressure
Our Goals for You
The goal of this social media campaign is to empower students to keep college campuses safe for all.
Although the primary target is students, we also expect parents to be indirectly affected by the campaign because they would be supporting youth in their search for colleges. This would help to make campus sexual assault prevention part of the conversation at the family dining room and within the community. By the end of the campaign, we hope to:
- Inform students and parents about the incidence and risk factors for sexual assault on college campuses.
- Educate students about their rights and responsibilities in preventing campus sexual assault.
- Reinforce students’ developmental assets related to positive peer influence, equality and social justice, cultural and interpersonal competencies, restraint, resistance skills and personal power.
- Direct students and parents to resources available for the prevention of campus sexual assault.
References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Preventing sexual violence on college campuses: Lessons from research and practice. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from https://www.notalone.gov/schools Higashiyama, M. (2016, May 12). 1 in 5 Can Thrive: Rethinking Sexual Assault on College Campuses. Tedx Talks. Tacoma, USA: You Tube. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_E398OZQ88