November 9th through 13th is the “It’s On Us National Week of Action“, a national awareness campaign administered by The White House to end sexual assault on college campuses. All this week IU East will focus on this theme. There will be a T-shirt give-away, a poster of the It’s On Us pledge in Springwood Hall for students to sign, and plenty of sexual assault information, including pamphlets and videos (IU East’s own “It’s On Us” video will debut on campus this Tuesday). Everyone is encouraged to wear their T-shirt on Tuesday, November 10th.
Of course, IU has never taken sexual assault lightly. And if you or someone you know has suffered it, there is help for you. All of IU’s policies, prevention strategies, surveys, training tools, and resources are online here. All IU staff that interact with students and all administrators have taken training in how to help you. And if you want to talk to someone in complete anonymity (most staff are legally obligated to report that a crime occurred, even though they protect your confidentiality), the Center for Health Promotion offers special counselling services. Emergency information and contacts are posted in every bathroom.
And the library has plenty of resources, too, whether of a research nature, help for victims, or from a perspective of advocacy. Books include titles like Sexual Violence on Campus: Policies, Programs and Perspectives by Allen Ottens, Voices of the Survivors by Patricia Easteal, ABC of Domestic and Sexual Violence by Susan Bewley, Confronting Violence: Answers to Questions about the Epidemic Destroying America’s Homes and Communities by George Gellert, and Traumatic Events Treatment Planner by Tammi Kolski. And government documents feature similar materials like Sexual Assault on Campus: What Colleges and Universities are doing About It by Heather Karjane, Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action by the White House Council on Women and Girls, First Response to Victims of Crime by Timothy Woods, and Sexual Assault among Intimates: Frequency, Consequences & Treatments by Judith McFarlane.
Whatever has happened to you, you’re not alone. We’re all in this. And it’s on all of us to make it right.