I believe that our university is succeeding in regards to sexual, relationship, and/or intimate partner violence prevention. The Violence Prevention Office (VPO) in specific has made great strides in education and prevention of violence on campus. Due to new marketing techniques, the VPO has reached more students than ever before. As a result, reports of sexual assault have increased each year since 2013, meaning more survivors feel comfortable coming forward and that, because of this knowledge, our campus is becoming a safer environment for all.
The Violence Prevention Office was also instrumental in helping found Rebels Against Sexual Assault (RASA). Now in its second year, RASA has promoted an open dialogue on campus about sexual assault. Members, selected through a voluntary application process, attend an eight-hour training session in collaboration with the Violence Prevention Office, Title IX, Counseling Center, and the University Police Department to become certified peer educators. This group is asked to host open education sessions at various student organizations to continue the dialogue about sexual assault on our campus. Likewise, RASA works in conjunction with the VPO to educate students about being an active bystander by looking out for peers and how to direct, distract, or delegate a potentially dangerous situation. RASA has also hosted screenings of documentaries like The Hunting Ground with open-panel discussions afterwards to discuss and educate attendants, as well as other open panels to engage the community when issues involving sexual assault arise.
Though harsher sanctions on Sigma Chi, or any organization in a similar situation, could be effective, our university has a strong sexual violence education system in place already. If we expect a better sexual violence education system, we must first be open and willing to engage in the conversations about sexual assault already happening around our campus.
Alyssa Eilers is a sophomore linguistics major from O’Fallon, Illinois
