Running head: FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

A Four-Year Comprehensive Education Program for Members of the Greek Community Working
to Combat Sexual Assault
Iowa State University
Alexandra Savat

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

To Whom It May Concern:

Thisreportprovidesananalysisofthehistoryofsexualassaultandproposesthe
implementationofafouryearcomprehensiveeducationplanfortheGreekcommunity.Itwill
foregroundabriefhistoryofsexualassaultinhighereducation,variousconcernsforStudent
AffairsOfficials,andwillelaborateontheplanbeingproposed.
AccordingtotheAnnualCampusSexualAssaultReport,1in5womenand1in16men
aresexuallyassaultedduringtheircollegecareer(CampusSexualAssault,2015).Currently30%
ofinstitutionsoffernosexualassaulttrainingtostudentsortheircampuslawenforcementand
70%havenoprotocolinworkingwithlocallawenforcement(CampusSexualAssault,2015).
ThisissueispertinenttoStudentAffairsOfficialsfornumerousreasons.In terms of a
student retention and success, a study done by Smith, White, and Holland (2003) revealed that
those who experienced sexual assault were more likely to drop out of college all together.
Survivors of sexual assault are also 4 times more likely to have contemplated suicide and 13
times more likely to have attempted suicide than non-sexual assault survivors (Kilpatrick, 2000).
All of these concerns are brutally impacting the lives of sexually assaulted students around
campuses in a negative way. From a legal perspective, there are numerous laws and regulations
that require individuals to be trained, how to report, and what to report but much of this
information is surface level and does not address prevention of sexual assault. From a public
relations perspective, institutionalpressuresadministratorsfeeltopresentsexualassaultina
positivelightwhichunfortunatelyoftentimestrumpsthestudentsneeds.Overall,sexualassault
isabuzzingtopiconcampusestodayandthereisampleroomforgrowthandimprovementfrom
aninstitutionalstandpoint.

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

TheplanbeingproposedisafouryearplanwillbeimplementedwithintheGreek
communityinordertodevelopeducationalprogramingthatisincreasedinfrequencyandlength.
With an increase in student population involved with Greek life, college campuses are also
seeing a problem arise in regards to sexual assaults taking place within the Greek community. A
study found that fraternity men were three times more likely than other college students to
commit rape and sorority women were 74% more likely to be raped (Bednarz, 2015). Although
issues of sexual assault do take place outside of the Greek community, this program specifically
addresses this group of students due to the sheer size and the substantial number of sexual
assaults occurring in this community.
Thefouryearsexualassaulteducationplanwillbeginwithgeneralcontentfocusingon
itemssuchasconsent,rapeculture,mentalhealth,intersectionalityandbeingabystander.Itwill
progressinyeartwototopicssuchasgenderspecificprogramingdiscussingmasculinityand
femininity,thecultureofrespectandgenderbasedviolence.Inyearthreeitwillfocusprimarily
onbystanderinterventionandrelationships.Finally,inyearfouritwillconcludewithhelping
othersandhowsexualassaultlooksoutsideofthecollegerealm.
This four-year plan is ideal for all students at institutions however, starting with the
Greek community addresses a direct problem that is being noticed in that area. It is an ideal plan
because it continues education as the student develops and encourages continuous thought on the
topic. It also stays consistent with the college environment and focuses on continued education
outside of the classroom. Sexual assault is unarguably a topic that institutions must begin to work
on preventing and this begins with furthering the education around the topic. In all, this proposal
allows for students within the Greek community to learn about sexual assault throughout an
extended time period which encourages them to develop into agents of prevention.

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

SexualAssaultHistory
Muchofthehistoryofsexualassaultlooksverydifferentfordiverseidentities.Women
ofcolorhavedifferentexperiencesthanwhitewomen,menhaveverydifferentexperiencesthan
women,andevenwomenindifferentcountrieshavedrasticallydifferentstories.Alongwiththe
differentexperiences,thelegalsystemandtheimpactithasoneachidentifyisconsiderably
diverse.
Asisthecasewithmuchofhistory,racewaspredominatelyremovedfromthe
conversationofsexualassaultandwasntacknowledgeduntilthe1970s.However,manyofthe
earlydocumentedcasesofsexualassaulttookplaceagainstAfricanAmericanwomenwhen
slaverywaspredominatelyprevalent.Inthesecases,manyslaveownerswouldrapeAfrican
Americanslavesinordertoproducemoreslavesthattheycoulduseforlabor.Whitewomen,
althoughtheyheldmorerightsthanAfricanAmericanwomen,werenotgrantedthesamerights
asmenuntilthewomenssuffragemovementin1850.However,ittookuntil1920formanyof
theserightstobecomeenactedappropriately.Reportingsexualassaultmeantwomenwouldbe
shamedandoftendisownedfromsocietyorlefttobecomeprostitutesinordertocarefor
themselvesiftheyweremarried.Untilwomenbegantodeveloptheirownrightsandrespectin
societydidreportingsexualassaultbecomemoreacceptable.Sincereportingsexualassault
meantshameforwomen,manyactswereleftunreportedtolegalforces.
Themovementagainstsexualassaultispredominatelyseeninthreedistinctpeaks
throughouthistory.In1866,thefirstorganizedantirapeeffortswereestablishedbyagroupof
AfricanAmericanwomenwhotestifiedinfrontofacourtagainstgangrapethatwastaking
placewithinMemphisTennessee(2014).Itisbelievedthatthesewomenlaidmuchofthe

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

groundworkforthesexualassaultmovementweseetoday.Thiseraofmovements
predominatelyfromAfricanAmericanwomenwasknownasthefirstpeak.
Thesecondpeakfollowedin1944andwasledbyRosaParks.Duringthisperiod
instancesofinjusticeandrapecontinuedforAfricanAmericanwomen.Twospecificcasesof
injusticewithinthecourtsystemresultedinoutragefromAfricanAmericanwomen.Thefirst
casetookplacewhenajuryfoundamannotguiltyofrapinga15yearoldAfricanAmericanco
workerafteronlyfiveminutesofdeliberation.Thesecondcasetookplacewhena24yearold
AfricanAmericanwomanwasrapedbysevenarmedwhitemen.Theseeventstriggeredanti
rapeactivismandtheseeffortsplayedasizableroleinbeginningtheCivilRightsMovementin
the1970sasthethirdpeakbegan(Heldman & Brown, 2014).
Startingin1970,activistsopenedthefirstrapecrisiscenter,furtheringincreasing
awarenessaroundsexualassault(Heldman & Brown, 2014).Inthelate1970sprotestsregarding
sexualassaultwasraisedbyallwomen.Womentooktothestreetsandheldprotestsagain
assaulttheywereexperiencingatnight.ThiseventbecomeknownasTakeBacktheNight
marchesandwordbegantospreadastheseprotestsgrewinsize(SexualAssaultAwareness
Month).Thiswasthefirsttrueeventinwhichwomenbegantorevoltagainstthesexualassault
theywereexperiencing.Shortlyafter1975thelegaldefinitionofrapewasdevelopedand
betterrapeenforcementlawswereenacted.In1994theViolenceAgainstWomenAct(VAWA)
waspassedforcinglawenforcementtohandlesexualassaultasalegalmatterinsteadofafamily
problem.Thelawhasbeensubsequentlyremodeledtoextendtolesbian,gay,bisexual,
transgenderandNativeAmericansurvivorsaswell.

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

Thefourthpeakhasbeenpredominatelycategorizedbytheriseofsocialmediaand
expansionofTitleIX.Alongwiththesedevelopments,theDearColleagueLetterfrom2011
playedapowerfulroleinfurtherunderstandingtheeducationalchangesthatareneeded
(Heldman & Brown, 2014).Activismlikeseeninmuchofhistorystillcontinuestodayinfurther
developingawarenessandknowledgeregardingtheissueofsexualassault(SexualAssault
AwarenessMonth).
SexualAssaultandHigherEducation
Collegescampusesexperiencesexualassaultonanalteredlevelcomparedtogeneral
statistics.AccordingtotheAnnualCampusSexualAssaultReport,1in5womenand1in16
menaresexuallyassaultedduringtheirtimeintheircollegecareer(CampusSexualAssault,
2015).Evenwiththisalarmingstatistic,anastonishing90%ofthesecrimesstillgounreported.9
outof10collegewomenknewthepersonwhosexuallyassaultedthemand27%ofcollegeages
womenreportsomeformofunwantedsexualcontact(Krebs, Lindquist & Warner, 2007). Ina
historicalcontext,thenumberofsexualassaultsreportedhasgoneupsince2007whereitwas
previously11%comparedtothe20%ofcollegewomenexperiencingsexualassaultthatweare
seeingtoday(Krebs, Lindquist & Warner, 2007). Although there is a clear increase in the number
of sexual assaults on college campuses, colleges and universitiesarenotrespondingtothisissue
inasuitablemanner.Currently30%ofinstitutionsoffernosexualassaulttrainingtostudentsor
theircampuslawenforcementand70%hadnoprotocolinworkingwithlocallawenforcement
(CampusSexualAssault,2015).Althoughinstitutionsarenotdemonstratingeffectivemethods
inmanagingpreventionandhandlingthesecases,therearecampaignsthatareworkingto
changethisatmospherethathasbeenperpetuated.Forexample,theItsOnUscampaignandthe

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

WhiteHouseTaskForcetoProtectStudentsfromSexualAssaultarebothworkingtochangethe
normandengagecampusesinadiscussionaroundsexualassault(CampusSexualAssault,
2015).Thereismuchimprovementthatneedstobemadefromaninstitutionalperspectivein
ordertocreateanatmospherethatisbestforthestudentsandassistingthemthroughtheirfour
years.Inthefollowingsectionsanexaminationwillbedoneonhowvariousissuesaroundsexual
assaultarerelevanttoseniorstudentaffairsofficers(SSAOs)andhowtheinstitutionhandles
suchissues.
StudentLearningandRetention
Whenconsideringtheoverallwellnessofstudents,institutionsmusttakeintoaccountthe
impactonstudentlearningandretentionsexualassaulthasontheindividual.Sexualassaultis
incrediblydamagingtothementalhealthofsurvivorswhooftenexperienceincreasedcasesof
anxiety,posttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD),depression,loweredselfesteemandsocial
anxiety(Resick,1993).Thesesideeffectsarenotsolvedovernighteither,andoftencanlastfor
monthsandregularlyyearsaftertheassault(Rothbaum, et al., 1992). Individuals often times
experience prolonged battles with depression and can experience prolonged sadness, loss of
energy, indifference, and insomnia or changes in sleeping patterns (Effects of Sexual Assault).
Depression can often lead to thoughts of self-harm when left untreated. Survivors of sexual
assault are also 4 times more likely to have contemplated suicide and 13 times more likely to
have attempted suicide than non-sexual assault survivors (Kilpatrick, 2000). Research has also
found that the impacts from sexual assault may be more severe than other crimes. This research
found that when comparing sexual assault survivors and survivors of non-sexual crimes, those
who experiences sexual assault had higher levels of depression, eating disorders and anxiety
(Faravelli, et al., 2004). Although there are numerous psychological affects survivors face, there

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

are others that are not normally defined as mental health concerns. Some sexual assault
survivors also experience a feeling known as dissociation, which refers to the feeling of being
removed of not present in a situation (Effects of Sexual Assault and Rape). Survivors
sometimes find themselves daydreaming or being unable to focus on the real world. Changes
in trust, anger, shock, numbness, disorientation, numbness and fear and very common
experiences for survivors (Effects of Sexual Assault and Rape). The trauma that is associated
with assault greatly affects survivors and the way in which they process the assault. All of these
factors discussed have an overwhelming impact on the way in which a student who was sexually
assaulted is able to function on campus. The overall student wellness in compromised and is not
seen as an excusable reason to not function at 100%.
The mental health concerns are not only troubling from a student wellness perspective,
but in turn impact the academic performance of students. A study revealed that those who
experienced sexual assault were more likely to drop out of college all together (Smith, White, &
Holland, 2003). This research is consistent with another study done which found that the
aftermath of sexual assault can impact a survivors ability to concentrate, organize facts mentally,
or remember details about studies (Jordan, Combs & Smith, 2014). The mental health issues that
arise also impact commitment to academia or social anxiety due to embarrassment and shame
which make attending class exceedingly difficult (Jordan, Combs & Smith, 2014). There is also
evidence that those experiencing sexual assault turn to substances as a coping method and in turn
impact their grades.
All of the previous mental health concerns severely impact the way in which survivors go
about their daily lives and their ability to function on various levels. Fear and anxiety often times
encompass survivors and impact the ability to go to class or leave their room. An article in The

FOUR-YEAR SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

Washington Post highlights this reality through the story of a student who was sexually assaulted
and experienced academic and social difficulties (Simon, 2014). The woman saw her grades go
from As to Ds because she couldnt participate in classes after the assault. She even found
herself confided to her dorm room after running into her perpetrator on campus, furthering her
self-isolation. This experience is a common reality for those who experience sexual assault
during their college years and must be handled in order to assist these students in the most
effective way possible. The academic performance and ability to function after sexual assault
needs to be an enormous concern for SSAOs. The following section will further assess how
legislative regulation and legal characteristics of sexual assault influence the institution.
PertinentLegalandLegislativeGuidance
Thehistoryofthelegislativeregulationregardingsexualassaulttrulybeginin1965as
theHigherEducationActallowedinstitutionsadditionalresourcestoprovidefinancialaidfor
studentsenteringhighereducation(Campus Sexual Assault Laws & Regulations Timeline).
Shortlythereafterin1972,TitleIXwasimplementedandwasamajormilestoneforuniversities
inacknowledgingsexualassault(Campus Sexual Assault Laws & Regulations Timeline).Title
IXrequiredgenderequityinallprogramsthatreceivefederalfundingordiscusssexualassault,
whichmandatedthatschoolsworkonpreventingandspeaktothesexualassaultoccurringon
campuses.In1974TheFamilyEducationalRightsandPrivacyAct(FERPA)wasdevelopedto
protecttheprivacyofstudenteducationrecordsandprotectthereleaseofinformationtoother
parties(Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 2015).AstheCivilRightsMovement
developedagreaterfollowing,thehighereducationworldsawashortlulluntilroughly1990
(Campus Sexual Assault Laws & Regulations Timeline.)In1990theJeanneCleryDisclosureof
CampusSecurityPolicyandCampusCrimeStatisticsAct,morecommonlyknownastheClery

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Act,wasestablished.Thisactrequiredinstitutionstodiscloseinformationaboutcrimeswithin
andaroundthecampus.Theactwasmodifiedin2008toincludehowschoolspublishthe
informationandthetimelineinwhichwarningsaredistributed(Campus Sexual Assault Laws &
Regulations Timeline.)In1994VAWAwasenactedaspreviouslydiscussedandwasfollowedin
1997bytheORCsSexualHarassmentGuidancewhichfurtherestablishedwhatsexual
harassmentlookslikeinthehighereducationsetting.Onedominatecourtcasecameaboutin
1998whenGebserv.LagoVistaIntendentSchoolDistrictruledthataschoolcouldbeheld
liableunderTitleIXiftheyexhibiteddeliberateindifferenceaboutactsofteacherstudent
sexualassault(Campus Sexual Assault Laws & Regulations Timeline).In2004theORCsDear
ColleagueLetterwasreleased,remindinghighereducationinstitutionsthatTitleIXrequires
themtodesignateaTitleIXCoordinate,adoptandenactanondiscriminationpolicyandput
grievancemeasuresinplacetohandlecasesofdiscriminationonthebasisofsex(Campus
Sexual Assault Laws & Regulations Timeline).Muchofthisletterdiscussedtheadministrative
aspectsofTitleIX,makingsurehighereducationinstitutionsareenforcingtheseregulations.
ThesecondDearColleagueLettercamein2011andtookadifferentapproachtowardssexual
assault.Thisletterexaminedtheenvironmentthatsexualassaultscreatedandurgedhigher
educationintuitionstodiscussproactivemeasurestopreventsexualassault.In2013TheCampus
SexualViolenceElimination(SaVE)Actwasdevelopedtorequireschoolstoreportalarger
rangeofsexualassaultincidents,furtherexplainingVAWAandtheClearyAct(Campus Sexual
Assault Laws & Regulations Timeline).Theimplementationoftheseregulationshasplayeda
tremendousroleaddressingsexualassaultoncollegecampuseshowever,thereisstillagrander
problemconcerningsexualassaultoncampuseswhichwillbeexpoundedonwithintheproposal.

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PublicRelationsandExternalPressures
Aprimaryconcernwithinanyinstitutionalsettingisthepublicappearancethattheyare
givingtosocietyandpotentialstudents.Thesepressuresoftentimesdominateconversationand
canpushcurrentstudentsandhonestyaside.Notonlydoinstitutionshaveanimagetouphold,
therearealsopressuresthatcomefromboardmembersandadministratorsthatimpactthewayin
whichsexualassaultcasesaredealtwith.Althoughgovernmentofficialsandmemberswithin
societyarestartingtodemandhonestyfrominstitutions,theseofficialsarestilltiptoeingaround
honesty.AsurveydonebytheAssociationofAmericanUniversities(AAU)askedstudentsif
theyhadfiledarapereportwiththeirinstitutionandcomparedittotheofficialrapereportfrom
theCeleryAct(Pauly,2015).Theresultsshowedthatcollegesarefarfromhonestaboutthe
numberofrapesreported.Forexample,atTexasA&MtheAAUsurveyshowedthat162
studentshadreportedarapetoinstitutionofficialsbuttheCleryActreported9studentshadbeen
raped(Pauly,2015).TexasA&Misnottheonlyculprit,astheAAUsurveyshowed,othermajor
institutionssuchasTheUniversityofMinnesota,OhioStateUniversityandUniversityof
Floridaallhadmajordiscrepanciesintheirnumbersaswell.
Institutionsareconstantlyconcernedwithhowtheywillbeperceivedfrompotential
studentsandparents.Manyparentsaskquestionsregardingsafetyaroundcampus,andproviding
themwithlownumbersofrapeisreassuringthatitisasafeplacetosendtheirchild.However,
howsafecanaplacebeforstudentsthatliesabouttheexperiencestudentsarereceiving?The
publicimagethatinstitutionsmustupholdtorecruitfuturestudentsisbasedoffoftheideathat
thespaceissafeandthatinstitutionsarebeingproactiveaboutpreventingsexualassaults.Dana
Bolger,cofounderofKnowYourTitleIXexplainshowinstitutionsviewsexualassaultand

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howitisanissueforstudents.Sheexplainsthatinstitutionsarefocusedoneliminatingtheriskto
themselvesandnotalwaysthestudentandthatchangeneedstobemadeforstudentssafetyand
equitytobeprioritized.Sheexplainsthatcurrently,manyinstitutionsarenotbenefitingtheir
studentsbutbenefitingthemselvesinstead(New,2014).

Institutionshavealsobeencriticizedinthewayinwhichtheyarehandingsexualassault
cases.Oftentimesadministratorsarelikelytosendoutandemailorhangawarenessposters
aroundcampusbutarelesslikelytoactivelytraintheirstudentsaboutsexualassault.Inan
articlebyKarasekandWarner(2014),theyexplainedhowUCBerkleysresponsetosexual
assaultcaseswasscrutinized.Theseindividualsexplainedhowtheinstitutiondidnotproactively
handlethemultitudeofsexualassaultcases,insteadsimplysendingoutanemailstatingsexual
assaultwasnottoleratedbutdoingnothingtoeducatestudents.KarasekandWarner(2014)
calledforactionbyencouragingofficialstosupportsurvivors,educatestudentsandholdthose
responsiblefortheactionaccountable.Thisisoneofmanycasesinwhichstudentscallon
institutionofficialstomakeaphysicalchangeinsteadofhidingbehindanemail.The
institutionalpressuresadministratorsfeelaroundtopresentsexualassaultinapositivelight
demonstratethepublicrelationsconcernthatoftentimestrumpsthestudentsneeds.
Withalloftheseconsiderationsinmind,itisclearthatinitiationsneedtobehanding
sexualassaultcasesinawaythatisfocusedonthestudentandchangingthewayinwhichwe
trainstudents.Minimaltimeisfocusedoneducatingstudenttomakeachangearoundsexual
assaultandthishastochangeinordertokeeptruetotheeducationalatmosphereofan

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institution.Thefollowingsectionwillproposeacomprehensivefouryearplanthatfocuseson
educatingstudentstoallowthemtobecomefundamentalinpreventingsexualassault.
ProposalandAction
ThisproposalfocusesspecificallyonmembersofGreekletterorganizationandeducating
themonacomprehensiveunderstandingofsexualassault.Afouryearplanwillbeimplemented
inordertodevelopaneducationalprogramthatiscontinuousandfocusesonchangingthe
cultureandideasaroundsexualassault.Beforegoingintothedetailsofthisplan,itisimportant
todiscusswhyGreeklifewaschosenasthestartingpointforthiseducationalplan.
NinemillioncollegeagedmenandwomenwithinUnitedStatesareinvolvedina
fraternityorsorority(TheFraternityAdvisor).Greeklifehasbeenexpandingsinceits
colonizationoncollegecampusesinthe18thcentury(HistoryofGreekLifeinAmericanHigher
Education,2014).Beginningasliteraryanddebatesocieties,manyoftheseGreekorganizations
wereconsiderablydifferentthanthefraternitiesandsororitiesoncollegecampusestoday
(FraternityandSororityLife).Oncollegecampustodayroughly85%ofstudentleadersarealso
Greek(TheFraternityAdvisor).At Iowa State University the number of Greeks has increased
from 2,782 in 2011 to 4,650 in 2015 (Iowa State University Greek Affairs, 2015). An increase in
numbers means the organizations are having a larger impact and more of the students on campus
are impacted by these organizations.
With a rise in student population involved with Greek life, college campuses are also
seeing a problem arise with sexual assault in the Greek community. A recent study found that
fraternity men were three times more likely than other college students to commit rape and
sorority women were 74% more likely to be raped at some point in the college careers (Bednarz,
2015). Many factors are believed to foster the rape culture that is developed with the Greek

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atmosphere but it is clear that there is an issue that is taking place within this group of students.
Although there are issues of sexual assault that do often take place outside of the Greek
community, this program specifically addresses this group of students due to the sheer size and
the sizable number of sexual assaults occurring strictly in this community.
In order to combat the issue taking place within the Greek community a four-year
comprehensive program that engages both sorority and fraternity members focusing on varying
issues throughout these years. The issues discussed in this program will grow with the individual
and will take place once a month in chapter meetings. The meetings will follow the students
year based off of age and not academic credits. Each Greek organization on campus will be
required to have their members go through these sequences in order to remain in good standing
with the institutions Greek Affairs. Through integration of this program into the typical education
programs that take place, the incorporation will be seamless and require little change in the
programing that already is required. The implementation of this plan will work with the
academic position within each Greek letter organization to ensure the coordination of the
presentations. The information will be presented by a trained staff member and not by the
chapter members leaders to ensure accuracy and allow for questions to be accurately answered.
Thefouryearsexualassaulteducationplanwillbeginwithgeneralcontentfocusingon
itemssuchasconsent,rapeculture,mentalhealth,intersectionalityandbeingabystander.Itwill
progressinyeartwototopicssuchasgenderspecificprogramingdiscussingmasculinityand
femininity,thecultureofrespectandgenderbasedviolence.Inyearthreeitwillfocusprimarily
onbystanderinterventionandrelationships.Finally,inyearfouritwillconcludewithhelping
othersandhowsexualassaultlooksoutsideofthecollegerealm.Thisprocessisdetailedbelow
witheachstepbeingdescribedandexplainedthesignificanceithasduringthattimeperiod.

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FourYearComprehensiveSexualAssaultEducationfortheGreekCommunity
FirstyearThefirstyearfocusesonexaminingthebasicelementsofsexualassaultandensuring
thateachstudenthasacomprehensiveideaofwhatisandwhatisnotsexualassault.Also
focusingontheimpactoftheactionswehaveandhowelementsstudentsthinkarejokesare
trulyperpetuatingtherapecultureinsociety.
ConsentThissectionwillfocusondiscussingwhatconsentlookslikeandtruly
examiningwhatyesmeansandhowtoknowifsomeoneelseisconsenting.Itwillalso
explorehowsubstancesplayaroleinconsentandhowtounderstandifsomeonecangive
consent.Itwillalsodiscussthelegalramificationsaroundconsent.
RapeCultureUnderstandinghowsocietyhascometoperpetuateacultureofrape.How
thishasplayedoutinhighereducation.Howrapecultureisinourdailylivesandhowwe
areallowingittocontinuewithoutnoticing.Howtocanchangerapecultureasa
communityofGreeks.Thissectionaimstounpackhowcertaintermsandphrasesused
perpetuatetherapecultureandwillfocusonhowthatcommunicationthatiscommonly
usedcanbechangedinordertocircumventtherapeculture.Exploringhowtohave
conversationswithpeoplewhousethatlanguage.
MentalHealthUnderstandingthetrueramificationsthatsexualassaulthasanddigging
deeperintothesurvivorexperienceandhowitimpactstheirtimeincollege.Howmental
healthisseeninsocietyandhowcollegestudentscangetmentalhealthassistance.
Exploringthelifelongimpactssexualassaulthasandhowitplaysaroleintheeveryday

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livesoftheseindividuals.Thissectionwillalsolookatitemssuchastriggeringasside
effects.
IntersectionsofIdentityLookingathowdifferentidentitiessuchasrace,gender,class,
religiousaffiliationplayaroleinsexualassault.Unpackinghowtheseidentitiesimpact
thewayinwhichyouactinsituationswhereyoucouldintervene.Examinationof
identitiesandsexualassault.
BeingaBystanderThebeginningstagesofunderstandingwhatbeingabystanderis.
Thissectionwillbedevelopedthrougheachyearasthestudentshavefurtheredtheown
developmentanddevelopmentintheunderstandingofwhatsexualassaultis.
SecondyearThesecondyearturnstoexamininghowgenderplaysaroleinsexualassault.
Thisyearfocusesonhowtheinteractionsanindividualhasonadaytodaybasisimpactthe
ideaswedeveloparoundsexualassault.Itwillalsoworkondevelopingindividualizedproactive
methodsfurtherwithinthisyearandunderstandinghowtotakethisknowledgeandapplyitto
situations.
MalePrograming/FemaleProgramingThissectionwillworkondevelopingan
understandingaroundtwogendercategoriesandhowtheseplayintosexualassault.It
willalsoexaminehowpeoplewhodontassociatewithagenderbinaryexperience
sexualassault.Discussingmasculinityandhowitisintegratedintothebasicsofsexual
assaultandhowfemininityalsoisexperiencedwithinsexualassault.Alargeportionof
thissectionwillbespenddiscussingmasculinity,particularlyinGreeklife.
GenderbasedviolenceDevelopinganunderstandingaroundhowsexualassaultis
commonlygenderbased.Understandingwhatgenderbasedviolencelookslikein

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society.Exploringwhatgenderbasedviolencelookslikeintermsofhumantrafficking,
slaveryandsexualexploitation.
CultureofrespectThissectionworkstohelpstudentsunderstandhowasagroupof
people,specificallyGreeks,canworktogethertochangetheoverallculturearound
sexualassault.Thisprogramingwillfocusonchangingtheculturethatsurroundssexual
assaulttodeveloprespect.Unpackingwhatacultureofrespectlookslikecomparedto
whatkindofculturewecurrentlyarein.
ThirdyearThisyearpredominatelyfocusesonafullbystanderinterventiontrainingand
enablingmembersofthecommunitytobecometrainedadvocates.Thisyearwillspendthe
majorityofthetimededicatedtomakingsureGreekmembersareabletointerveneinsexual
assaultsituations.
FullBystanderInterventionTrainingThissectionwillhavemembersgothroughafull
bystanderinterventiontraininginordertobeconsideredanadvocateandactive
bystander.Bygoingthroughthisfulltraining,membersareabletounderstandhowto
interveneinsituationswheresexualassaultispossible.Thistrainingwaschosenforthe
junioryearbecauseatthispointintheeducationprocessthemembershavedevelopeda
comprehensiveideaofsexualassaultandmanyofthedifferentfactorsthatplayintoit
andcanbetterunderstandhowtointervene.Thisisalsoapointinwhichmanystudents
areabletogotothebarsanddrinklegallyandbyhavingthemtrainedinhowtohandle
thesesituationstheyarenowabletoprotectothersfromsexualassault.
RelationshipsThisportionworksonfurtherdevelopinganunderstandingabouthealthy
relationshipsandwhatsexualassaultlookslikeinrelationships.Itwillprimarilyfocuson

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howstudentscanfosterhealthyrelationships,howtolookforwarningsignswithother
relationships,whatrelationshipviolencelookslike,andhowtohavehealthycasual
sexualrelationships.Eachoftheseareaswilldiscusswhattodoifyouorafriendare
experiencingthistypeofviolenceandhowtogoaboutmakingsureyouaresafe.
FourthyearInthefinalyearofthefouryeareducationalprogramtheinformationfocuseson
howtotaketheknowledgelearnedandapplyitoutsideofthecollegerealm.Muchofthisyear
willbespendonreflectingbackontheinformationlearnedandhowtoenactitastheycontinue
throughlife.Thisyearwillalsoworktowardsunderstandinghowtobeanadvocateintough
situationsthatmayentailmorethanintervening.
HelpingothersThissectionwillfocusonhowtousetheknowledgegainedthroughthe
educationprocesstohelpothers.Thiscontentwillbebasedheavilyoffoftheexperiences
oftheindividualsandbediscussionorientedinordertogainanunderstandingofbest
practicesonhowtointeractwithstudentsorpeoplewhomayneedguidanceafteran
assault.
AssaultoutsideofcollegeDevelopstheunderstandingofwhatsexualassaultlookslike
outsideofthecollegecampus.Discussinghowtohandlealloftheinformationlearned
throughthefouryearsandhowitappliesintherealworld.Thissectionreallyfocuses
onhowtotaketheinformationthattheeducationalprocesstaughtandimplementit
duringthesituationsthattheymayencounterthroughthefuture.
This four-year plan is ideal for all students at institutions however, starting with the
Greek community addresses a direct problem that is being noticed in that area. By educating the
students over four years, they are continuously engaging in conversations and development
around the topic. Through beginning at base level topics and working up to becoming an agent of

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prevention, this program acknowledges the developmental process students are going through
and is tailored to best suit this process. In all, this proposal allows for students within the Greek
community to learn about sexual assault throughout an extended time period which encourages
them to develop into agents of prevention.
Inall,thisplanallowsforstudentstohavecontinuousinteractionandeducation
throughouttheirfouryearswithinGreeklife.Throughthebeginningofdialogueandcontinuous
educationstudentsareabletodevelopanallencompassingunderstandingofsexualassault.
Allowingstudentstodiscussthesedifficulttopicsencouragesthemtotrulythinkabouttheir
actionsandbetterunderstandhowtobeapartofpreventingsexualassault.Forexample,astudy
foundthatonly1in12mencommittedthelegalactsofrape,however84%ofthesemendidnot
knowthatwhattheyhaddonewasconsideredrape(Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987).
Educating students is key to making sure these individuals are aware of what they are doing and
how they can actively help others. By educating students, we are giving them the instruments to
produce change.

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