On Tuesday, April 1, sponsors of Illinois Wesleyan University’s Sexual Assault Awareness month events hosted a panel about consent and prevention.
Speakers from YWCA Stepping Stones, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and IWU’s Counseling and Consultation Services answered curated questions about local resources and prevention tactics on college campuses.
“We want to do our best to provide our campus with the proper information about sexual assault,” Dean Prince Robertson said in his introduction.
NaStasha Powers, Assistant Director at YWCA Stepping Stones, addressed the stigmas surrounding victims of sexual assault and how to empower those who come to Stepping Stones for their resources.
Powers said some of the stigmas about victim-blaming, emotional reactions to triggers and sexual behaviors after an assault should be openly talked about. She added that there is no right or wrong way to behave after being sexually assaulted, and it is never a victim’s fault.
She listed some of the resources Stepping Stones provides to victims, including medical and legal advocates, counseling and a 24/7 crisis hotline.
“You have a say on what happens next and what this journey looks like for you,” she said.
Stepping Stones Prevention Educators Chelsea Mann and Cat Rosendorn addressed other misconceptions about sexual assault and overcoming obstacles to being an advocate for vicitms.
Mann reminded the audience that the first person to which a victim discloses their experience can determine the outcome of their healing.
“If you react with judgement, then someone may not feel comfortable opening up and seeking resources that could help them,” she said.
She also said that it is important to be thankful to someone for sharing their sexual assault story, and to be confidential about the information.
Rosendorn told the audience about the resources that YWCA Stepping Stones provides, reiterating that what services a victim decides to use are completely their own choice.
“Just knowing that you have people in your community who can provide support is incredibly important,” they said.
Nora Peterson, Associate Director of Prevention at University of Illinois, compared the different ways large and small universities implement sexual assault prevention and awareness with Christina Armstrong, IWU’s Director of Counseling and Consultation Services.
“One benefit of a large campus is that we have a dedicated space for victims,” Peterson said. She also explained that UIUC has over 80 paid peer educators who coordinate sexual assault awareness events on their campus.
“It’s easy to get isolated at UIUC, and it’s even harder to do outreach,” she said.
Christina Armstrong said it is much easier to do outreach and prevention training on IWU’s campus, citing free therapy at CCS, campus safety walks, Green Dot training and the close relationships between students, staff and faculty on a small campus.
But, Armstrong said many students are worried about reporting sexual assault at IWU because students are worried about the close environment of a residential campus.
“Everyone’s needs are different, and it is our job to help a victim decide what is the best course of action for them,” she said. “Whether that is filing a Title IX complaint or simply finding someone to talk to, they are always in the driver seat.”
The moderators opened the floor for audience members’ questions, and one student asked for clarification on how to navigate reporting sexual assault in a small campus culture.
Armstrong listed the confidential resources for victims, including therapy and those in a sexual misconduct meeting.
Another student involved in Greek life asked how to implement prevention tactics in their organization. Peterson, who was involved in Greek life during her undergraduate years at IWU said that it is important to have a unified leadership as well as being firm with boundaries between other organizations.
“While April is sexual assault awareness month, it happens year-round,” Powers said. “We need to make sure we are being advocates as much as possible.”
