Women’s Affairs Office promotes awareness for crime bystanders

One in six American women and one in 33 American men will be a victim of sexual assault, according to the Rape, Assault and Incest National Network.

The Office of Women’s Affairs, in cooperation with the Jill Behrman 5K Committee, sponsored an Assault Bystander Intervention Workshop to educate students about sexual violence Tuesday in the Student Recreational Sports Center auditorium.

Three Savant peer educators from the OWA discussed sexual assault scenarios with students and asked what they would do as a bystander, someone who sees a sexual assault being committed. The Savants identified three possible ways to intervene:

Distract

This is a non-confrontational way of intervening. If you think there is a domestic violence issue at your neighbor’s house, knock on the door and ask for a cup of sugar.

If a guy at a party is bothering a drunken girl who is clearly not interested, tell him his car is getting towed. While you are not directly intruding on the situation, the assaulter will know someone is paying attention.

Delegate

Get another person involved. Find a friend of either the victim or the assaulter and let them know what is going on. If you live in a dorm, talk to your resident assistant.

Directly intervene

Speak up. If you know the person who is committing a sexual assault, pull them aside and say something. Even if the victim is a stranger, you can ask them, “Are you okay?”

Silence is a form of non-consent, and Indiana state law says someone who is intoxicated is unable to consent.

-Kate Thacker