Making Sexual Violence Prevention a Priority

The Importance of Sexual Violence Prevention

By Becca Mattingly Lanham & Ariel Norvell

Becca Mattingly Lanham is the Groups Coordinator at Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center (Ampersand), where she strives to connect survivors to one another and the movement to end sexual violence. Becca graduated from Murray State University with degrees in chemistry and agriculture, and she received a Master's in public health from the University of Kentucky. She is also a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority. Ariel Norvell is the Prevention Coordinator at Ampersand, where she advocates for survivors and fights rape culture. Ariel graduated from Transylvania University with a B.A. in sociology and is currently pursuing her Master’s in public health at the University of Florida’s College of Public Health & Health Professions. She is also a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. For more information about Ampersand, visit: ampersandky. org.

ACulture That Perpetuates Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is not something new. Sexual violence on college campuses is not new. However, in the last few years, survivors’ voices are finally being elevated and the truth of the prevalence of sexual violence is becoming known. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization and has reported that college women between the ages of 18-24 are three times more likely to experience sexual violence than the general public. There is a culture on college campuses that perpetuates sexual violence. It is the same culture that perpetuates sexual violence outside of college campuses. We call this culture rape culture. It can be defined as the social acceptance and normalization of sexual violence. Rape culture will not be fixed overnight but there is a lot we can do to start changing the culture. Culture is made of our collective beliefs and actions – this means we all have a part to play.

There is a culture on college campuses that perpetuates sexual violence... We call this culture rape culture. It can be defined as the social acceptance and normalization of sexual violence.

Creating a Culture of Change

Those who commit violence must be held accountable for their actions. The systems that are in place that perpetuate violence must be held accountable for their impact and compliance. Most importantly, we are all responsible for changing the culture. Culture change can seem like a daunting challenge, but each of us already contributes to the cultural norms and changes around us every day. Through our individual attitudes and behaviors, we can initiate those cultural changes that ultimately prevent this violence from happening in the first place. Everyone can influence on the cultural norms around them, in both positive and negative ways. The way we choose to use that influence is what can make a difference. While necessary, culture change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for the impact of our individual attitudes and behaviors

to reach the level of institutional change, but we can start by setting the example today. Think about your everyday behavior: the way we respond to a sexist joke carries the power to either perpetuate or interrupt the normalization of sexual assault.

Bystander Intervention

It’s not always easy or comfortable to confront these behaviors, especially if it’s coming from a close friend. More than half of women who have reported experiencing sexual assault are victimized by an intimate partner - that is, someone they have some kind of close relationship with.1 It’s likely that we are bystanders to harm taking place right in front of us. A bystander has the unique opportunity to disrupt instances of violence and patterns of harm, or to do nothing. “Bystander Intervention” refers to the process of equipping individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to feel empowered to take action to prevent an act of violence from occurring or escalating.2 As a prevention strategy, research demonstrates bystander intervention has been effective in promoting social norms that make it less likely for violence to occur. Intervening as a bystander can be as simple as just checking in with someone you’re worried about, or as serious as interrupting an escalating conflict. No matter how comfortable someone is with intervention, there are actions they can take to help keep their peers safe. Reacting to these ‘red flag’ situations is one way to prevent sexual violence, but there are also ways to be proactive in contributing to a safer social culture. Making it clear to those around you where you stand on the issue of sexual violence and setting the model of acceptable behavior has a profound impact. It’s the choices and actions we all take every day that, over time, result in a collectively changed perspective of sexual violence and ultimately prevent this harm from ever having the opportunity to

Phi Gamma Delta's Sexual Violence Prevention Education

Social Strengths: Topics include consent, safe social environments and bystander intervention, to name a few. Taking on Testing Points: This program focuses on healthy relationships and sexual violence prevention. For more information, visit www.phigam.org/SVPreventionEd.

occur. Sexual violence is not inevitable. Everyone has a role to play in its prevention, and a responsibility to contribute to a safe social culture intolerant of sexual violence.

1. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Oct. 2021 rev., Intimate Partner Violence retrieved from: https://www.cdc. gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html. 2. New York State Department of Health, Stop Sexual Violence: A Sexual Violence Bystander Intervention Toolkit retrieved from: https://www.health.ny.gov/ publications/2040.

How the Sigma Alpha Chapter Made Sexual Violence Prevention a Priority

By Erica Carlson

Erica Carlson is Phi Gamma Delta's Director of Communications. She also volunteers at Ampersand as a crisis counselor, answering their 24/7 support line.

On October 5, I met virtually with Sigma Alpha at Texas San Antonio’s Corresponding Secretary Tameron Duran (2021), Philanthropy Chairman RJ Hoffman (2024) and former Philanthropy Chairman Paolo Martinez to discuss their work with Set the Expectation and its founder, Brenda Tracy, since spring 2019. Set the Expectation (STE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending sexual and interpersonal violence through prevention work with men, advocacy, and engagement with agencies serving survivors and their families. STE has hosted over 500 events, and over 52,000 people have signed STE’s pledge. 4

(Interviewer’s Note: The following transcript has been lightly edited to improve clarity.)

Q: How did you learn about STE? TD (Tameron Duran): In spring 2019, the University of Texas San Antonio's (UTSA) IFC required a minimum number of fraternity members to attend a two-hour workshop with Brenda Tracy, STE’s founder. The entire Sigma Alpha Colony attended the event, including Paolo Martinez and President Justin Rodriguez (2020). At the time of the event, the STE pledge was written only for athletes.

Q: What inspired you to work with STE to help prevent sexual assault? Why did you want to create a Greek life pledge? PM (Paolo Martinez): After the workshop, we realized how important Brenda’s message and organization are. We realized there was a really great opportunity for our chapter to plan to work with STE. After the workshop, Justin and I talked to Brenda, and we got the ball rolling on our own STE event. We planned a whole week around it. Q: How long did it take to develop the pledge? PM: I don't remember the exact time it took to write the Greek life pledge with Brenda. We ended up taking the template she had for

About Set the Expectation

To learn more about STE, visit www.settheexpectation.org. Download STE's Greek Life Pledge at www.phigam.org/ STEGreekPledge.

the athlete’s pledge and worked with the document to edit and tailor it specifically for Greek life. And we came up with a whole detailed plan for a philanthropy week beyond taking the pledge. Q: Does the Chapter continue to work with STE every year? TD: When we table on campus before recruitment, we let our potential new members know that if they want to be part of the Chapter, they must memorize the STE Greek life pledge and sign it. If a potential new member is not going to memorize and sign the pledge, they are telling us that they are not the type of person that shares our values. Also, during new member education (NMEd), we make sure we have at least one day where the STE pledge is discussed. Q: Do you expect all new members to learn about and sign the STE pledge during NMEd? TD: Yes. This usually happens in the new members’ first semester. It's an informative session. We teach them the signs of sexual assault, what they should and shouldn't do, how to identify situations for prevention, and how to act on them. RH (RJ Hoffman): During NMEd, we bring up STE and share Brenda’s story. Then our new members sign the pledge. Q: Do you provide any education on consent or other sexual assault prevention when you share the STE pledge? RH: Absolutely. I address these topics with one-on-one conversation. For instance, after an interaction at a STE event, a new member might ask me about various hypothetical situations. We discuss how they might respond. I remind them that, ultimately, it’s up to their judgment. But it's always better to stop than to continue going and find out they were wrong. Q: What goals do you have for the STE Greek life pledge? PM: Our original goal was to start with UTSA and get our chapter on board with the idea. There were a few times we talked about trying to get the International Headquarters involved. The only problem is I know Brenda focuses more on athletes than she does Greek life. I believe that if UTSA isn’t the only school, then we are one of only a few schools that have incorporated STE with their Greek life. I’m sure it would be great to have this program on a regional or national level, but there would need to be a conversation with Brenda about it. TD: I think at one point, we talked to somebody at IHQ about trying to get Brenda to come to an event like Academy. And then of course, COVID happened, so we put the idea on the back burner. Q: Why do you think it is so important that fraternity men take an active role in sexual violence prevention? PM: While far from the majority, some fraternity men have been perpetrators of sexual violence. That's something that is very real and has happened in the past. For the overwhelming majority who

On September 9, 2021, the Sigma Alpha Chapter held a STE pledge signing event on UTSA's campus from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, and 110 people signed the pledge.

aren't the perpetrators, we need to do our part to keep everybody in check. We need to make sure that we're doing our best to make comfortable, safe spaces for everyone. Brenda has done a great job of instilling the desire for safety and respect, speaking up, calling things out and being vigilant. RH: I think at some universities there are some fraternities that have a reputation for sexual violence. Being able to reach out to Greek life in some way can help raise awareness and lower the number of sexual assault incidents. My drive in taking part in the STE event was to reach more people than just our chapter. TD: Fraternities have their own stereotypes regarding sexual assault. As soon as we started the STE pledge program, we saw a change on campus. Other people on campus were more comfortable with our chapter. They would come up and ask about the pledge, which is a good sign that what we are doing is working. Of course, we've reached out to other fraternities on campus to make sure they know about it, because we want to reduce those fraternity stereotypes at UTSA. Q: Do you have any advice for other chapters that want to make sexual violence prevention a priority on their campus? TD: It's important to bring up what is bothering you when you have concerns about it. You should never feel like you can't say anything. Often, men want to say or do something, but then they worry what others will think. Whether you start big or small, get the idea out there. It'll probably reach 25-50% of the chapter if they have an open mind. And that's how it starts, until nobody is afraid to act anymore. RJ: For me, it’s being alert and looking out for situations like a woman stumbling through a neighborhood. It’s paying attention to the cues; she could be in danger. It's being there to stop that and recognizing the signs. One of the most important steps is not being the bystander who let something bad happen. PM: Keep each other accountable. While it sounds cliche, it’s one of the most important things you can do. Prevention situations can be so nuanced, and it can be very difficult for a person to navigate. With NMEd, it is important to have dedicated days, where you talk about sexual assault prevention, including more conversations about consent. For change to happen, you need to have these types of conversations that are uncomfortable. Holding people accountable is the biggest thing you can do. It is the bare minimum all chapters should be doing at this point. t

Keep each other accountable.

While it sounds cliche, it's one of the most important things you can do.