Primary Prevention

The Goal is Prevention

Sexual violence is a serious problem that can have lasting, harmful effects on victims and their family, friends, and communities. The goal of sexual violence prevention is simple—to stop it from happening in the first place. The solutions, however, are just as complex as the problem.

While there are a rich volume of tools, knowledge, and resources for the intervention after sexual violence, the emphasis here is to encourage prevention activities that take place before sexual violence has occurred, and create social change and shift the norms regarding sexual violence.

SCU recognizes sexual violence as a serious campus and public health issue. High levels of victimization, coupled with cultural acceptance of rape myths, create an environment where victimized students are disempowered and alienated from their college experiences. Students cannot learn in an atmosphere where they do not feel safe. In recognition of this campus health concern, SCU has developed this primary prevention program to reduce sexual violence and improve student health.

SCU has a stake in preventing sexual violence and all members of our community have a valuable role to play. With our commitment, we can raise awareness of the primary prevention of sexual violence within our community.

The Importance of Consent

What is Consent?

Consent is a voluntary, sober, enthusiastic, creative, wanted, informed, mutual, honest, and verbal agreement.
Consent is an active agreement; consent cannot be coerced.
Consent is a process, which must be asked for every step of the way.
Consent is never implied and cannot be assumed, even in the context of a relationship. Just because you are in a relationship does not mean that you have permission to have sex with your partner.
A person who is intoxicated cannot legally give consent. If you are too drunk to make decision and communicate with your partner, you are too drunk to consent.
The absence of a "no" does not mean "yes".
Both people should be involved in the decision to have sex.
It is not sexy to have sex without consent.

Why is consent so important?

Communication, respect, and honesty make sex and relationships better.
Asking for and obtaining consent shows that you have respect for both yourself and your partner.
Positive views on sex and sexuality are empowering.
It questions traditional views about gender and sexuality.
It eliminates the entitlement that one partner feels over the other. Neither your body nor your sexuality belong to someone else.
It is normal and healthy for women to expect to be included in the consent process

Asking for consent.

When?

Before you act. It is the responsibility of the person initiating a sex act to obtain clear consent.
Whenever you are unsure if consent has been given, ask.
Check in throughout.
Giving consent ahead of time does not waive a person's right to change their mind or say "no" later.

How?

Consent is not just about getting a "yes" or "no" answer, but about understanding what a partner is feeling.
Ask open-ended questions.
Listen to and respect your partner's response, whether you hear "yes" or "no": "I'd really like to.....how does that sound?", or "How does this feel?" or "What would you like to do?"

Gauging Consent

Statistics

Between 20% and 25% of women will experience a completed and/or attempted rape during their college career. (1)
More than half of raped college women tell no one of their victimization. (1)
80% of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 30. (1)
Persons with a disability had an age-adjusted rate of rape or sexual assault that was more than twice the rate for persons without a disability. (1)
99% of people who rape are men. (1)
In 1 in 3 sexual assaults, the perpetrator was intoxicated. (1)
Only about 2% of all sexual assault accusations reported to police turn out to be false. This is the same rate of false reporting as other types of violent crimes. (1)
Victims were on a date with the perpetrator in 12.8% of completed rapes and 35% of attempted rapes. (2)
43% of the sexual victimization incidents involve alcohol consumption by victims and 69% involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrators. (2)
38% of college-aged women who have been sexually victimized while in college had first been victims prior to entering college, making past victimization the best predictor of future victimization. (3)
At least 50% of college student sexual assaults are associated with alcohol use. (4)
College men who participated in aggressive sports (including football, basketball, wrestling and soccer) in high school used more sexual coercion (along with physical and psychological aggression) in their college dating relationships than men who had not. This group also scored higher on attitudinal measures thought to be associated with sexual coercion, such as sexism, acceptance of violence, hostility toward women and rape myth acceptance. (5)
90% of acquaintance rapes involve alcohol. (6)
30% of the college women who said they had been raped contemplated suicide after the incident. (7)

(1) U.S. Department of Justice
(2) National College Women Sexual Victimization
(3) Our Vulnerable Teenagers: Their Victimization, Its Consequences, and Direction for Prevention and Intervention
(4) High Risk Drinking in College: What We Know and What We Need to Learn
(5) Dating Aggression, Sexual Coercion, and Aggression-Supporting Attitudes Among College Men as a Function of Participation in Aggressive High School Sports
(6) National Collegiate Date and Acquaintance Rape Statistics
(7) Warshaw, Robin, 1994