Throughout April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the U.S., we鈥檙e reminded that survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and the like, come from all genders, socioeconomic strata, races and ages.
The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Program at 吃瓜头条 was launched in 2021 to educate and empower the campus community on this serious public health issue.
鈥淩SVP is bringing people together and sharing the human experience,鈥� RSVP Manager Carissa Hansford said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e sharing positive messages about what healthy relationships are and how to develop them. RSVP is a force for prevention.鈥�
According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), experience rape or sexual assault.
Mary Sue Savage, a national expert on campus sexual violence prevention, said increasing awareness is critical.
鈥淢any of us do not grow up learning about consent, boundaries, or how to build healthy relationships,鈥� said Savage, the Executive Director of the organization in Oakland. 鈥淏y the time people come to college, there鈥檚 a lot of awareness and skill-building that needs to happen. A comprehensive approach is necessary. Prevention needs to be embedded within the campus culture.鈥�
How we got here
Title IX, a comprehensive federal civil rights law enacted in 1972, gave this issue a firm base when it prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, including all forms of sexual violence, for all institutions receiving federal funding. The Clery Act of 1990 added the Campus Sexual Assault Victim鈥檚 Bill of Rights, requiring colleges to track and disclose specific campus crime statistics and safety policies.
The State of California committed more strongly to sexual violence prevention on college campuses by passing AB 2683 in September 2022. It requires all incoming college students to complete domestic violence and sexual assault prevention training.
In October 2021, 吃瓜头条 was already one of 52 campuses nationwide to receive a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) Grant to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It funds the prevention program, strengthens victim services, and provides trauma-informed training for staff.
The OVW grant requires colleges to do three things.
吃瓜头条 first had to gather its internal support groups to partner with organizations outside of campus.
The college now has a Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT), which oversees the RSVP Program. It includes representatives from campus administration, student equity, student services, campus police, and Merced City Police.
吃瓜头条 already had a relationship with in Merced, a local organization serving anyone in the county impacted by sexual violence and similar crimes.
The CCRT hired Valley Crisis Center veteran Daisy Castillo to act as the RSVP campus advocate. Castillo is the point person, offering confidential help and advocacy, for students, staff or faculty who have experienced sexual violence. The college also offers confidential counseling to all students from 吃瓜头条 Student Health Services in both Merced and Los Banos.
The second provision required the college to create a mandatory prevention education program (RSVP) for all incoming students.
The grant also requires the school to offer active bystander intervention training. Among the first groups to train with RSVP last fall was the Office of Admissions & Records. 鈥淚n Admissions and Records, we follow students throughout their whole journey on campus,鈥� Director Jeanette Martin said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no private space in our office, but I want us to have all of the survivor-centered tools we can get in case a student comes to us in distress.鈥� Bystander training empowers everyone to identify warning signs of sexual violence. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 always have to confront someone or insert yourself,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淲e just don鈥檛 want anyone to suffer in silence. The training helps you understand the many ways you can help.鈥� RSVP also brought Savage鈥檚 program onto campus last month, offering workshops and activities on understanding consent, building healthy relationships, and how to take a 鈥渟urvivor-centered鈥� approach when working with victims. Savage said she was impressed with how warmly the 吃瓜头条 community embraced the events, and the empathy and depth everyone showed during discussions throughout.
The third requirement of the grant is for campus law enforcement to train on delivering trauma-informed services that are anchored in safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment.
Among the principles taught to police are to believe survivors when they say they鈥檙e being violated or abused, and even while investigating those crimes, to respect their choice about pressing charges. The RSVP Program office is located on the second floor of the Downey Learning Resource Center (LRC).
Upcoming events
RSVP will recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month as part of Campus Pride Week, beginning April 15 with a safety planning and self-care gathering at The Hub from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The college will celebrate Denim Day, a national day when allies wear denim in support of survivors, on April 24. RSVP staffers and the campus advocate will share how people can participate in Denim Day on April 17 at The Hub, and on April 23 at the Los Banos Campus. On Denim Day, RSVP and Valley Crisis Center partners will be at Coffee Bandits on Main Street in Merced from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to talk to people about being advocates. Also, keep an eye on the program鈥檚 Instagram account () for inspiration and information. 鈥淭he grant wants us to be proactive, to stop bad things before they happen,鈥� Hansford said. 鈥淥ur students are starting to recognize what RSVP does. It鈥檚 happening, and that鈥檚 really cool.鈥� Anyone on campus who has experienced sexual assault, abuse or trauma in their lives should consider contacting the 吃瓜头条 RSVP Program for help at 209-756-6446 or .
