April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to rededicate ourselves to protecting all members of our community. This year, the focus is on the ways individuals and communities can take action to promote safety, respect, and equality. IU East is holding events all month – programs include the Clothesline Project from 11-1 each day this week, where students are encouraged to write a message regarding sexual assault awareness. Also this week, on Wednesday from 12-4, Operation Street Smart will provide information on narcotics, including trends, terminology, concealment techniques, and their physiological effects. Later in the month, IU East will offer many events such as Step Up Training and self-defense classes, as well as a Take Back the Night vigil on April 21st. Check out the entire calendar at the end of this blog.
IU East is also showcasing a number of apps designed to improve your safety, such as Circle of 6, which broadcasts your location and need to up to six friends; Safety Siren, which is like a rape whistle on your phone; bSafe, which offers an alarm, fake calling, sharing your location with friends, and requesting a friend walk home with you; and Kitestring, which checks in on you like a home security company and alerts your personal contacts if you aren’t able to respond to it.
Beyond participation in campus events, though, it’s vital to understand the problem. Prevalence, survivor’s needs, protection, means of support – should it happen to you or someone you know, these can be vital in healing. We have a LibGuide detailing many resources and recourses, as well as plenty of library materials for research. You might try GenderWatch for scholarly materials, or a database like PsycInfo. One particularly interesting one is Counseling and Therapy in Video which shows dozens of therapeutic methods and diagnoses, giving you a first-hand look at proper therapy work with survivors.
We also have plenty of good books in our collection, including titles like Sexual Violence on Campus: Policies, Programs and Perspectives by Allen Ottens, Voices of the Survivors by Patricia Easteal, Reporting Sexual Assault: A Social Ecology Perspective by Kim Ménard, Gender Attitudes and Violence Against Women by Melinda York, and Teaching Against Violence: Reassessing the Toolbox by Inez Testoni.
If you need help with your research or locating good information, be sure to ask us at iueref@iue.edu.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) events:
Week of April 4-8
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The School of Social Work will host the Clothesline Project. Each day a table will be set up for individuals to write a message regarding sexual assault awareness either from the victim/victress/perpetrator/concerned individuals perspective. The table will be located in one campus building per day:
Monday – Tom Raper Hall
Tuesday – Whitewater Hall
Wednesday – Springwood Hall
Thursday – Hayes Hall
Wednesday, April 6
12-4 p.m., Vivian Auditorium
The goal of Operation Street Smart is to provide current and up-to-date narcotics information on trends, terminology, paraphernalia, concealment techniques, and physiological effects to those individuals who deal with today’s youth on a daily basis. Presented by IU East and Reid Health.
Monday, April 11
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Graf Center
- T-shirt giveaway – I “Moustache” You for Consent
- “The Hunting Ground” viewing and facilitated discussion
- Table with information and giveaways
Tuesday, April 12
Campus Life Conference Room, located in Springwood Hall Room 107
- Step Up Training – Learn how to step up and protect the PACK. Be the solution.
- Faculty and staff session at 12 p.m.
- Student session at 3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13
Campus Life Conference Room, located in Springwood Hall Room 107
- Step Up Training – Learn how to step up and protect the PACK. Be the solution.
- Student session at 11 a.m.
Thursday, April 14
4 p.m., Springwood Hall Graf Gym
- Self-Defense Class. Limited to 20 participants. Participants will be entered into a drawing for an IU East blanket.
Thursday, April 21
4:30-5:30 p.m., Quad
The School of Social Work will host a first-ever vigil during a Take Back the Night event presented by the Student Social Work Association (takebackthenight.org). The vigil is open to students, staff and faculty. The vigil will be an opportunity for your voice to be heard. Every time an assault or attempted assault has been committed, many people are affected, as well as the alleged “victim and perpetrator.” If you would like to participate in the vigil – either by speaking or singing – contact Shelia Armstead, clinical assistant professor/field director for the School of Social Work, at sarmstea@indiana.edu.
Wednesday, April 27
All Day
#DenimDay (denimdayinfo.org). Wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate yourself and others about sexual assault.