What Can I Do?

Be Proactive

Learn about the issues of sexual assault and harassment. Invite a Peer Ally, a faculty or staff Sound Advocate, or a Rebuilding Hope community resource member to provide educational programs in your residence hall, Greek chapter, or to other campus organizations.

  • Talk about sexual assault.
  • Educate and inform yourself about sexual assault and harassment.
  • Look for teaching moments to educate your peers that sexual assault is NEVER okay.
  • Develop educational programs in your residence hall, Greek chapter, campus club, or organization.

Support

Support the survivors of violent crimes. No matter what they were wearing, who they were with, where they were going--they did not ask to be harassed, raped, or assaulted.

  • Do not downplay assault or harassment.
  • Do not share or laugh at inappropriate jokes, comments, or stories about assault or harassment.
  • Attend or participate in a campus or community program about sexual assault.

Reject

Reject the behavior or attitudes which excuse harassment or rape or which glorify violence.

  • Interrupt a situation that appears to be headed in the wrong direction, even if you risk angering a friend.
  • Send a clear message that assault will not be tolerated.

Volunteer

Volunteer at an organization dedicated to ending interpersonal violence, such as the Sexual Assault Center or the YWCA Battered Women's Shelter. Donate clothing or money to ensure the success of these groups.

Be Aware

Be aware of ways in which pornography, advertising, and other media contribute to ideas that sexual harassment, sexism, and sexual assault are acceptable, or that victims deserve or want to be assaulted. Take a class which studies victimology or the effects of pornography.

Explore, Acknowledge, and Work

Work to change the violent impulses we all sometimes feel.

  • Don’t try to read alternate meanings into an answer about sexual involvement.
  • Be assertive and confident in your communication. Passivity may be falsely interpreted as permission.

  • Before acting be certain permission is clear both verbally and nonverbally. Sometimes people “freeze” in stressful situations so they cannot communicate effectively. Do not accept passivity as permission.