Sonoma State University has joined hundreds of universities across the nation in taking the "It's On Us" pledge, Vice President Joe Biden's campaign against sexual assault on college campuses.
"We will be providing students the opportunity to learn about and take the 'It's On Us' pledge at a variety of events throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month," says Jesse Andrews, Title IX investigation and training specialist at Sonoma State. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and April 3-9 is the national It's On Us week of action.
It's On Us aims to fundamentally shift the way we think about sexual assault, by inspiring everyone to see it as their responsibility to do something, big or small, to prevent it. The campaign reflects the belief that sexual assault isn't just an issue involving a crime committed by a perpetrator against a victim, but one in which the rest of us also have a role to play.
To date, more than a quarter million students from more than 500 colleges have taken the pledge at www.itsonus.org, which begins: "This pledge is a personal commitment to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault. It is a promise not to be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution."
A panel discussion, "If it Happens to You--How SSU and Verity Provide Resources and Support to Survivors of Sexual Assault," is designed to answer questions, address concerns, and facilitate discussion about addressing sexual violence on campus on April 21, 5-6 p.m. in the Sonoma Valley Room in the Student Center.
The panel will explore issues such as consent, Title IX (what is it and how it works), how to report an assault, and how to access resources both on campus and off. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in a conversation about how the campus community can best respond to sexual violence. Panelists include representatives from Sonoma County rape crisis nonprofit Verity and the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office Victims Services Division, as well as from Sonoma State Police Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Title IX office.
The campaign launched in 2014 and received a boost after Biden introduced Lady Gaga at this year's Academy Awards, who sang her Oscar-nominated song, "Til It Happens to You," from "The Hunting Ground," a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses.
Research shows that bystander intervention can be an effective way of stopping sexual assault before it happens, as bystanders play a key role in preventing, discouraging, and/or intervening when an act of violence has the potential to occur.
As the latest Center for Disease Control report on preventing campus sexual violence shows, wide-ranging, population-based strategies like bystander intervention--which address individual, community, campus, and societal-level factors--have the greatest potential to effect positive and meaningful change.
Bystander education and training aims to heighten awareness, challenge social norms, decrease misperceptions about sexual assault, and provide skills that increase one's confidence to intervene effectively.
Facts from Whitehouse.gov
• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college
• 40 percent of survivors fear reprisal by their attacker
• Only 2 percent of incapacitated rape survivors report assault
• Only 13 percent of rape survivors report assault
• 8 in 10 survivors knew their attacker (friend, significant other, etc.)
• It is estimated that between 2 and 7 percent of sexual assault reports are false
Sexual Assault Awareness Month Events at Sonoma State
Monday, April 4, 6-7:30 p.m., The HUB
It's a Guy Thing: Love & Relationships
What does it mean to be a man? What does healthy masculinity mean? "It's a Guy Thing: Redefining Masculinities" is a meeting that happens twice a month. The casual, small group meetings are for all SSU students (men, women, trans students) to talk, share ideas, and discuss challenges, responsibilities, and advantages of being a man in today's society.
Tuesday, April 5, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Seawolf Plaza
The Clothesline Project Display
The Clothesline Project is an organization created to bring awareness to the issue of violence against women. For women who have been affected by violence, it is a means of expressing their emotions by decorating a T-shirt. After the shirts have been decorated, they are hung on a clothesline display. The intention of the display is to honor survivors and act as a memorial for victims. It is also intended to aid in the healing process for those who were directly affected and those who have lost someone special to violence. Lastly, the clothesline display is to educate society and promote awareness, as well as to document violent crimes against women.
Film: "In Plain Sight," Stories of Hope and Freedom, 7-9 p.m., Ives 101
Sigma Omega Nu, in partnership with Verity, presents a free screening of "In Plain Sight" in honor of Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month as well as Sexual Awareness Month. The screening is followed by a Q&A with Verity's Human Trafficking Advocate.
Vagina Monologues Performance, 5:30-7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom B
Watch the Vagina Monologues cast preform several monologues from the show and to share your own monologue (a poem, song, proclamation, statement) with a subject relating to consent, femininity, the vagina, love, injustice, race, sexuality, gender, sexual assault, etc.
Wednesday, April 6, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Seawolf Plaza
The Clothesline Project Display
Thursday, April 7
May I?, 5 p.m., The HUB
The HUB hosts this interactive trivia game on the facts and myths on sexual assault. In this friendly game, participants compete for a prize while learning how to steer clear from sexual assault. Bring your friends, who bring their friends, who bring their friends!
The Clothesline Project Display, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Seawolf Plaza
Tuesday, April 12
Treats & Trending: Kesha, Demi, Taylor, and our response to sexual assault, 2 p.m., The HUB
Treats & Trending Topics (#T&T) is a meeting that happens once a month where people are invited to come and discuss current topics that are trending, especially involving social justice, and enjoy snacks together. These monthly discussions are a way to build a community that is interested in getting to know more about popular culture and trending topics. Treats and topics will be provided, but feel free to come ready with your own topics relevant to the monthly theme.
Wednesday, April 13
The Vagina Monologues 101, 5:30-7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom B
Join the cast of The Vagina Monologues during Sexual Assault Awareness month to watch the cast preform several monologues from the show and to engage in an open dialogue relating to the monologues, consent, femininity, the vagina, love, injustice, race, sexuality, gender, sexual assault, etc. The Vagina Monologues 101 is a chance to gain a deeper understanding about how these ideas closely relate our campus culture at SSU.
Monday April 18
It's a Guy Thing: Porn & Sex, 6-7:30 p.m., The HUB
What does it mean to be a man? What does healthy masculinity mean? "It's a Guy Thing: Redefining Masculinities" is a meeting that happens twice a month. The casual, small group meetings are for all SSU students (men, women, trans students) to talk, share ideas, and discuss challenges, responsibilities, and advantages of being a man in today's society.
Sunday, April 17
Solo Cup Culture: Minimizing the Risks of an Alcohol Soaked Campus, 10 a.m., Student Center Ballroom
2011 Ohio State college graduate and fraternity member Jake Byczkowski talks about alcohol risks on college campuses. Presented by Alpha Delta Pi with support from AS.
Wednesday, April 20
Chips, Dip, Whips, and Chains with Carmen DeJesus, 1-2 p.m., The HUB
Consent is great. In fact, there is an entire community that focuses on the benefits of consent and how exciting intimacy can be. "Chips, Dips, Whips, and Chains" is an afternoon of discussion about BDSM and all the great things that come with it. Guest speaker Carmen De Jesus is passionate about bringing clarity in consent and communication as a means to empower personal evolution and intimate relationships. A former pro-domme turned writer/hypnotherapist/coach and mom, she brings compassion, nurturing and a sense of play to those seeking to explore and expand their boundaries safely within the world of kink and power dynamics.
Thursday, April 21
Panel Discussion, "If it Happens to You - How SSU and Verity Provide Resources & Support to Survivors of Sexual Assault," 5-6 p.m., Student Center Sonoma Valley Room
This panel is designed to answer questions, address concerns, and facilitate discussion about addressing sexual violence on campus. The panel will explore issues such as consent, Title IX (what is it and how it works), how to report an assault, and how to access resources both on campus and off. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in a conversation about how the campus community can best respond to sexual violence. Panelists include representatives from Sonoma County rape crisis, trauma and healing nonprofit Verity, as well as from Sonoma State Police Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Title IX office.
Tuesday, April 26
Sexual Assault Awareness Month Tabling and Resources, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Seawolf Plaza
Come to Seawolf Plaza to meet on-campus and local resources for education and support.
Wednesday, April 27
Take Back The Night, 7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom
Take Back the Night is an event aimed at raising awareness and shattering the silence surrounding sexual assault, domestic violence and rape culture affecting all genders and sexual orientations. This event aims to empower survivors by publicly speaking up against violence through creative mediums such as open storytelling.
The night strives to support, empower, and inspire the SSU community by uniting all of our voices and demanding our community to be free of all types of violence.
Denim Day Tabling and Resources, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Seawolf Plaza
Come out to Seawolf Plaza to meet on-campus and local resources for education and support.
Related Links:
Verity
www.ourverity.org
It's On Us
www.itsonus.org
SSU Counseling and Psychological Services
www.sonoma.edu/counselingctr/