On a typical day on the University of Oregon campus, many students pass between buildings and dining halls carrying pepper spray or personal alarms on lanyards beside their student IDs. On the way to their cars and bicycles, keys grip between knuckles and ‘text me when you get home safe’ requests are said in muscle memory as they depart from their classmates.
UO, like many other college campuses, represents another place where individuals must be vigilant. 13% of all students will experience a form of sexual assault during their time at a U.S. university, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a nationally recognized time dating back to the 1970s. Yet, despite its decadeslong history, the month of advocacy and educational initiatives remains relevant.
The facts are clear: more than one-quarter of women and about 7% of men undergraduate students will experience sexual assault on campus, and nearly 10% of women and about 3% of men of graduate students reported similarly, according to RAINN. Rates of sexual violence against transgender, genderqueer and non-binary students are even higher at 23%.
During April, UO’s administration and student groups will hold a series of events, ranging from open discussions on sex, consent and healthy relationships to the national event “Take Back the Night.” These efforts aim to raise awareness for all types of sexual violence and, in turn, promote an open conversation about how students can prevent sexual and intimate partner violence and advocate for a safer Duck community.
“Social distancing does not mean that you are alone,” according to the UO’s Office of the Dean of Students’ website. “We are here for you. Preventing sexual violence requires all of us, especially now.”
SAAM goes beyond April
The Campus Climate Survey is a national survey that helps universities understand and measure their strengths and weaknesses. The survey showed that UO has made progress in reducing sexual violence on campus compared to previous years, but there is still room for improvement.
The survey showed that the rate of nonconsensual sexual contact decreased between 2015 and 2019. Additionally, students who participated in the survey said they had knowledge on how to support their friends who were sexually assaulted, and 65% of students felt campus officials would take their report seriously.
Kerry Frazee, UO’s director of sexual violence prevention and education, said that it is “not a day event. Prevention is something that takes place around the clock.”
UO provides multiple advocacy and educational initiatives that promote and implement a trauma-informed and student-centered approach. Many students approaching services have experienced some type of trauma, Jessica Haymaker-Parsons, UO’s sexual violence support services director, said.
Haymaker-Parsons oversees a team of advocates that aid students who have experienced sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking. The group offers assistance for survivors who experience financial burdens and provides safe accommodation options if they live with their perpetrator. They also offer health services and work with faculty to mitigate any academic impacts due to an assault.
“What we’re trying to do is mitigate any sort of re-triggering or reactivation they might experience after the traumatic events,” Haymaker-Parsons said. “We’re also trying to translate what trauma looks like to professors and departments in case they are seeing students re-experiencing things during class.”
UO provides multiple reporting methods for survivors who would like to report an incident and seek justice through the UO adjudication process.
“We have different types of reporting to really keep students at the center of holding their story and sharing with the people that they’re choosing to share with,” Frazee said.
Designated reporters are those individuals who are “obligated to report student disclosures to the Title IX office if they have reportable evidence of prohibited conduct,” according to the UO Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance website. This means they are required to report any incident of assault or sexual violence for a formal investigation. Designated reporters include the president, vice president, deans of units and athletic directors.
Another option is student-directed employees, who offer individuals resources and support but won’t file an official report unless the student asks them to. Lastly, confidential employees have similar responsibilities as student-directed employees, but they are legally protected from being compelled to disclose information unless the student asks them to. This group is composed of advocates in crisis intervention, sexual violence support services, lawyers, health professionals and counselors, Frazee said.
“We know that the first person that a survivor shares their story with has a really big impact, and it can influence the survivor’s healing,” Frazee said.
UO student groups work throughout the year to increase awareness on prevention and policies and to advocate for survivors. During the second week of spring term, UO senior Robynne LaPorte introduced her club, Sexual Violence Prevention Policy and Activism: a student group that advocates for survivors and resources at the university.
During the meeting LaPorte discussed the restorative justice model the university has begun implementing. This model is an alternative process which entails survivors and perpetrators joining together with mutual consent and going through a healing process with an off-campus mediation service. Not everyone chooses to pursue restorative justice, but it can promote healing if both parties are willing to go through the process.
“I really like the restorative justice idea, because it just gives another option for survivors,” LaPorte said.
In the first two terms attending a university, college students are more likely to experience sexual violence of some kind, according to RAINN. UO works to combat these statistics by prioritizing education during IntroDUCKtion, the UO’s orientation program for all freshmen.
New students attend Get Explicit, a program that educates students on by-stander intervention, consent and the role of alcohol in sexual misconduct, each year during IntroDUCKtion. The program sets a precedent for what UO expects, LaPorte said.
Nathaniel Blair, a member of the Organization Against Sexual Assault, said he thinks the decrease in sexual assaults at UO could be attributed to Get Explicit.
In January, students reacted with fear and anxiety to a number of now-debunked social media videos claiming to show abductions. Despite the falsity of the videos, UOPD still saw the need for prevention resources for students and revamped the Rape, Aggression and Defense training, a self-defense class for women. On April 12 at 6 p.m., UOPD will hold a virtual training to teach UO students the basics of self-defense and safety awareness.
Regarding long-term responses to assault on campus, UOPD is drafting the Police Department’s Sexual Assault Reduction plan. Administrative Captain Jason Wade leads the two-prong initiative that focuses on prevention and apprehension.
The prevention initiative is a proactive approach that seeks to stop sex crimes before they happen. To do so, UOPD intends to increase awareness of existing resources such as Duck Rides. The apprehension side is reactive in that it begins after police receive reports that a crime has taken place. Investigators will seek to narrow in on the individuals who commit sexually violent crimes. Police on this team will work in conjunction with stakeholders like Title IX coordinators and the district attorney’s office to create a plan for criminal investigation and prosecution, Wade said. Another aspect of the apprehension approach is that UOPD is working on creating a full-time position for its detective sergeant, the primary investigator for sexual assault on campus. The position is currently part-time.
“It’s showing that we’ve got a systematic approach to how we’re going to try and reduce sexual assaults on campus and then show that to the community,” Wade said.
“It’s On Us”
In a UO lecture hall, instrumental music lulls in the back as students of all grade levels, races and gender identities share their experience with sexual assault, whether as a spectator or survivor. The speakers coax viewers to continue an open conversation about the critical issue of sexual assault on college campuses. More importantly, they are spreading a message that Ducks support and stand up for each other regarding sexual violence.
“We say something; we do something,” they repeat.
This video is part of UO’s campaign to create a safe and sexual assault-free campus — better known as the ‘It’s On Us’ campaign. The campaign emphasizes that sexual assault prevention is a collective action.
Frazee said that the long-term response for eliminating sexual assault is continued investment and effort to ensure a culture of care on campus. “An issue doesn’t ever graduate, harm doesn’t just graduate in the same way that a student might graduate and continue,” she said.
Also, sexual assault prevention cannot stick with the same rinse and wash cycle. Frazee said it is vital for the university to continue evaluating its efforts, including student feedback and staying culturally relevant with the campus’ needs. Haymaker-Parsons said that SAAM is filled with conversations around sexual assault and urged students to use the UO 24–hour hotline (541-346-SAFE). Both LaPorte and Blair said that checking in with friends, validating survivors experiences and offering support is vital.
“In the month of April, it’s important to raise awareness and to be highly aware of offering care for our peers,” Frazee said. “Use this time to be looking out for each other and to be offering support as much as possible.”
