April is upon us, and with it, Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The purpose of this month is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. As an educational community, this is a good time to review our sexual assault protocol and procedures in order to ensure the safety of every community member.
A report completed in 2000 revealed that a startling one in five women will experience sexual assault by the time they complete college. This violence is not limited to women; in 2003, one in every 10 reported rape victims was male. Despite the frequency of such crimes, more than 60 percent of sexually violent incidents go unreported. Now is the perfect time to educate yourself and your friends about sexual assault prevention and awareness.
The following events are available for the St. Thomas community:
Colleges and Universities Roles in Prevention of Sexual Violence
Wednesday, April 11 – Hamline University
This opportunity for training on prevention of sexual violence is being sponsored, at no cost for the attendee, by the Ramsey County Sexual Assault Protocol Team (SAPT). SAPT is funded by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs. The University of St. Thomas is an active member of RCSAPT.
- Trainers:
- Cordelia Anderson, M.A., national expert on sexual violence prevention
- Roberta Gibbons, Ph.D., assistant professor, Metropolitan State University
- Keith Edwards, Ph.D., director, Campus Life, Macalester College
- Date: April 11
- Check-in: 8:30 a.m.
- Training: 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
- Location: Sundin Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul
- RSVP: To studentaffairs@hamline.edu by Thursday, April 5.
- Program Cost: No cost to participants.
- Parking: Available in all campus lots; no permit required.
Directions are available on the Hamline University website.
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Take Back the Night
Thursdy, April 26 – 9 p.m.
Take Back the Night is an internationally held march and rally intended as a protest and direct action against rape and other forms of sexual violence. This event is sponsored by the Luann Dummer Center for Women and its Women’s Circle group.
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Clothesline Project
Thursdy, April 26 – convo hour
The Clothesline Project is a program that addresses the issue of violence against women. It is a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating shirts. They then hang the shirts on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women. The Clothesline Project is sponsored by the Luann Dummer Center for Women and its Women’s Circle group
