By: Shannon Kaminski This deliberation is the last deliberation I was able to attend, but it was definitely on a topic that I find very important to discuss. Sexual Assault is a growing issue on our campus as well as in our society and we need to find ways around the current state.
This group framed the issue in three ways-- Alcohol, Help Available, and Bystander Intervention. I thought all of these ways can contribute to changing the high levels of rape in today’s society. Approach #1-- Alcohol This approach highlighted the fact that alcohol plays a huge role in sexual assault cases, as it often makes lines of consent that seem clear without alcohol, very blurry. People aren’t sure about how far they can go, or whether the other party is comfortable, or if the entire experience is truly consensual because being under an influence can change everything. People often expect a “hookup” solely because they are going to be drunk, and so will some other party that will show interest. We discussed how alcohol consumption could be stopped, but the fact of the matter is, people aren’t going to stop drinking. We decided that, if anything, the university should implement safe drinking education, as well as a relaxed approach towards drinking so that students feel safe asking/seeking for help when they are in trouble and have been drinking. Approach #2-- Help Available While discussing this approach, our group realized that while we were given plenty of different resources for services to offer help to someone who feels endangered at night, or for people who have been assaulted, none of us still have that information, and are not sure how to access it. We also thought that SafeWalk is a great resource, but waiting for 15 minutes on a street corner for someone to come escort you home or offer you help seems to be pointless, and may even be counteractive. We decided that it may be up to the final approach, the bystander approach, to be the most effective plan at preventing sexual assault. Approach #3-- Bystander Intervention We talked about how sometimes being a bystander for a situation that could be potentially harmless for someone else can be uncomfortable, but that it is worth an awkward moment or two if it means saving somebody else from a whole new uncomfortable and terrifying situation. The problem is, a lot of people are unwilling to say anything. Because of this, we decided that our culture’s ideals need to change-- people need to learn to be confrontational, honest, and outright-- if they see someone who looks uncomfortable, all one needs to do is ask if this person is okay, or if they need help. This gets down to our community’s sense of unity. People need to feel connected to one another, people need to care about others, in order to be able to get involved in these types of situations. We also talked about how staying in a buddy system is usually effective, and that the implementation of “Angel shots” in all bars are a great way to give a man or woman on an uncomfortable date the option to opt out in a low-key and safe way. Conclusion The conclusion of this event was that bystander intervention is the best approach at fixing this issue. And the best way to make bystanders inclined to help is to give people a sense of community and compassion for their peers. If everybody cared about the well-being of the people around them, then the moment that someone seemed uncomfortable in a situation, people would be willing to confront it immediately. While the deliberation, in my opinion, did not frame the issue of sexual assault completely, I do think some progress was made while discussing the issue, and that a solution is possible through different programs and implements.
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By: Nikko Genoese Take Back Our Campus: Preventing Sexual Assault at Penn State was an incredibly moving deliberation that informed and provoked students. This experience of openly debating topics and brainstorming initiatives was refreshing in the fact that sexual assault has become an epidemic. Some of the approaches that were established and expanded were help offered, bystander intervention, and alcohol awareness.
Help Offered was one of the most compelling approaches that drove the deliberation group to act. In this approach, it was illustrated how some bars had systems in place to help women get away from situations where they felt endangered. The system was simple, there would be a flyer in the women’s bathroom stalls that explained certain signals and expressions that were code for help. Some of the things that were available were a call for a taxi, someone to walk the individual out safely, and also calling the police. The deliberation group expanded on this approach by supporting to make the code system a campus wide standard in all bars and fraternities. Another approach covered was bystander intervention and how it was responsibility of every student of Penn State. Bystander intervention was explained in a way more commonly known as “if you see something, do something”. To students who socialize in many different environments there are many readable signs that an individual may be in distress. For instance, if the perpetrator is visibly pursing sexual relations with an individual that could be considered not to be attracted, it was your responsibility to step in. Furthermore, this approach detailed how students can be the difference in stopping an incident before it has potential. By remaining vigilant and maintaining integrity a person who may not be in the right frame of mind may be stopped and corrected by one individual and avoid harmful fallout on both sides of the situation. Alcohol awareness, in particular, has a large presence in sexual assault incidents, the approach that was established was how to limit alcohol from affecting possibilities of being assaulted. In this approach, it was explained how alcohol affects consent, reading of sexual signals, and the terrible sexual misconduct incidents that occur when someone is incapacitated. We expanded this approach by specifically talking about sexual assault in fraternities at Penn State and how alcohol effects those incidents. The small deliberation group concluded that in order to reduce and effectively eliminate sexual assault all approaches must be practiced in fraternities. In conclusion, Take Back Our Campus: Preventing Sexual Assault at Penn State was beneficial to attend for information and future experiences. Through this deliberation the group explored how bystander intervention, help offered, and alcohol awareness could be the difference in someone’s life. The deliberation was open to everyone’s input and own experiences which greatly added to the depth and critical thinking to the conversations. Not only was it covered that these approaches were simple and feasible, the group also illustrated that it nothing short of a responsibility of every student. Most importantly, students left with new found seriousness in the fight against sexual assault here at Penn State. Kerriana Moore Although I only attended a couple of deliberations other than mine, this one was probably my favorite. It was a pretty packed event and the groups were large. Mine was fairly decent sixed, about 7 people. Before we separated into our groups, Jessica gave a good intro that got us thinking about what we might want to say. The structure of the event would be one of the deliberators going through each option and then the small groups going more into depth on the topic and coming up with ways to combat it.
Although sexual assault is very touchy subject, our moderators, Jessica and Alex, made it very comfortable so that the other participants and I were open about the subject. The first approach my group and I discussed was alcohol. We agreed that alcohol was definitely a big factor in the culture of rape and sexual assault on college campuses. One thing we discussed was that it’s good to always have a buddy system when you’re going out and know that drinking is going to be involved. Having a sober friend is always good to monitor the others who may be drinking. We also talked about how it’s important for us to monitor what we drink and how much, and to be cautious if accepting an open drink. In terms of the University taking a stand, we suggested them being stricter and actually enforce punishment to those who commit these crimes. Although we agreed alcohol was a factor in sexual assault, we also pointed out that it doesn’t lessen the crime. Sexual assault is still sexual assault regardless of the factors behind it. The second approach my group discussed was about help available to sexual assault victims. One suggestion that was pretty funny but could actually work was incorporating golf carts into safe walk. We all agreed that it would be weird to have someone walking and following behind you late at night and depending on the situation, we might not feel like it or be in the best shape to walk all the way back to our rooms. With a golf cart, we wouldn’t have to walk, it wouldn’t be as awkward because it’s just someone driving us home, and they’re easy to store/manage. Increased staff for safe walk is something that is also needed. Another suggestion we came up with was to have more blue lights. On other campuses, there’s literally a blue light everywhere you walk. There’s MAYBE four on Penn State, which is definitely not enough. The last approach we went over is bystander intervention. Many times, we as bystanders are hesitant to intervene in situations where we might witness sexual assault because we tend to think, “It’s not my business.” However, my group came up with ways to intervene. We talked about making code words or phrases such as “Your mom is here!” or “The pizza man is waiting for you at the door.” We also talked about how bartenders can help, by recognizing that someone may be in need of help and educating them on the warning signs of what may be sexual assault and what to do. One thing I learned to help myself become a better moderator was to really listen to the participants. When they see that you’re paying attention to them and listening, they’re more open to giving their opinions. This is something I thought Jessica did very well! This deliberation was very informative and I feel like I can make a difference in helping to prevent sexual assault from happening. By: Harshitha Palegar One in five women are sexually assaulted during their first year at college. That being said, contrary to popular belief, sexual assault and is not only a women’s issue. 5.4% of males are victims of sexual violence during college as well. In an environment dedicated towards education and career building, student should not have to be concerned as to whether they will be sexually assaulted or not. It is the duty of universities to harbor a safe environment especially in a place as structured as a university where living, eating and learning spaces are in close proximity of each other.
One factor that exacerbates the chances of being sexually assaulted in college is the consumption of alcohol. Specifically, there are types of pills and drugs that are dropped in drinks to limit a person’s ability to understand their surroundings or control themselves. Such drugs are extremely dangerous because they are usually tasteless, odorless and colorless and therefore can go easily undetected in one’s drink. Not only that, but these drugs can make a person completely forget what happened the events of the night. Drugs like date rape drugs are extremely dangerous to a person’s body as well. The toxins in the drug can create harmful side effects and even death in some instances, especially when they are mixed with copious amounts of alcohol. The Office of Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gives advice to prevent being date raped. One such way to always make your own drink. Making your own drink obviously means the drink has not been tampered with. However, in situations where you cannot make your own drink it is important to watch your drink being poured as this can decrease the risk of something harmful added in the process. Another important rule to follow is to never leave your drink out of sight as this can greatly increase the chances of someone dropping a drug in the contents of the cup. Date rape drugs are illegal in the United States, but unfortunately, people can still get their hands on them. Until the sales of these harmful drugs are eliminated, precautions must be taken. Another way to prevent date rape drug associated sexual assault is to step in when something does not seem right. Letting someone know their drink has been tampered with can have a huge impact on the safety of someone who is out drinking in campus. However, intervening when signs of someone drugging a drink is not the only time when stepping in is necessary. Bystander intervention can mean the difference between an assault victim and someone walking away from a dangerous situation. Many attacks can be prevented if someone steps in to offer a walk home, alert a friend or lets the perpetrator know what he or she is doing is not ok. Even something as simple as asking someone if they are ok can prevent a person from a sexual violence attack. In our own Penn State campus, sexual assault is a recurring issue. This is made evident by the constant university alerts that notifies students of an assault on campus and how desensitized students have become to such warnings. In its efforts to stop attacks, Penn State does have precautions put in place throughout campus. When it comes to date rape drugs and alcohol, the streets of Penn State are equipped with “safe walks” which, when pressed, will alert campus security to walk someone home. Penn State also has rules put in place within fraternities as to how drinks are distributed. Fraternities must have all alcohol behind a bar and all alcohol must be given out by one of the brothers who over the age of 21. These rules in fraternities somewhat decrease the chances of drugs being poured in the alcohol. Along with these regulations, Penn State sets up informational meetings and posters that preach advice similar to that of the Women’s Health Cabinet as mentioned above. In terms of bystander intervention, Penn State tries to educate students in the signs of sexual assault so they know when to step in. Not only does the university educate people on the red flags of potential sexual assault, but they also give advice in ways to step in without putting yourself in danger. Campus leaders give lectures and talks to spread the importance of taking a stand to prevent sexual assault and ways to do so. RAs also give presentations about intervention of sexual assault and they post informational newsletters to remind us of signs of sexual abuse. As good as Penn State’s strategies to prevent sexual violence related attacks are, they are still not enough. The ever present attacks signify how posters, talks and e-mails are insufficient. The “safe walks” put on campus sidewalks reportedly takes too long to respond and those who did press it for help end up walking home by themselves. Going along with that, the rules and regulations put in place at fraternities do not stop date rape drugs from circulating in the socials nor does it stop binge drinking. After all, standing alone on a street for 15 minutes is just as dangerous as walking back alone. The posters and talks do incite a sense of duty in students, however many people ignore the posters plastered along the walls and it is tough to get students to take time out of their schedule to voluntarily attend the lectures. Moreover, it is a struggle to eliminate the stigma of thinking “it’s not my problem” in students when they actually see signs of sexual assault. Unfortunately, with the increase of sexual assaults on campuses all over the country, including Penn State, it is evident that the precautions taken in our own campus are not enough. In order to bolster our resources to make our campus a safe environment, we must come together and formulate new ideas to implement throughout the school. The purpose for the deliberation is exactly that. It is so important to have an outlet that allows individuals to voice their opinion to deal with this intolerable issue. Colin Gillespie On Thursday, March 2nd, I attended the deliberation entitled “Take Back our Campus: Preventing Sexual Assault at Penn State. “This deliberation addressed the topic of sexual assaults on college campus- their prevalence, the vernal attitude towards these incidents, and ways to combat this. In the deliberation, three methods of combating sexual assault were discussed. They were to deal with the prevalence of alcohol, ensure that people knows that help is available, and encourage bystander intervention.
Of the three approaches, the first one was the most thoroughly discussed. Everyone in the group agreed that alcohol consumption could be directly linked to an increase in the number and severity of these incidents. Drinking alcohol lowers one’s inhibitions and decision making ability, or can lead to someone passing out. Someone at the table related a story about a time when they saw someone, very drunk, being escorted home by a friend. They remember thinking about how glad they were that she had a fiend there, as who knows what could have happened without that friend. While everyone agreed that alcohol was a problem, we couldn’t come up with a solution that we felt would solve the problem. First and foremost, we talked about how drinking alcohol is firmly embedded in the culture of college, and that nothing can ever make that go away Furthermore, with the sudden liberation when attending college, people who never had the chance to drink no have it available 24/7. This sudden shock, both cultural and physical, is more likely to increase the odds of someone going overboard. From this, we moved onto increasing the avalabity of help. While we all agreed that having more help was a good thing, we did not think that this would be enough. One person brought up the Safe Walk program, something that exists currently to help people get home safely. She said that the only time that she tried to use it, she was told that it would take someone at least 15 minutes to get to her. When you need someone’s help, you tend to want it right then. Another program that was discussed was a code word system for bars, that if you ordered something specific from a bar, then the bartender would know to do something for you. For example, one code word would mean that you need an Uber ride, another means that you need someone to escort you out because of the people around you we remaking you feel unsafe. Someone suggested that posters for this could be placed in the girl’s bathroom, allowing people to see them more consistently. However, we also discussed problems with this, the biggest one being that it affects very little of the cases. On campus, a lot of the partying happened at frat houses, where they would be no one to run this system. Finally, we discussed bystander intervention, that people should break up or warn off people. While our group agreed that this works well in theory, we were uncertain as to how well this would actually work. Because an outsider is, by definition, outside of a group, he does not know the dynamics of that group. What someone might see as sexual assault may be a boyfriend and girlfriend making out vigorously. Ultimately, we could not come up with a consistent way form people to recognize sexual assaults happening. All we could say was to use your best judgment, and to not be afraid of being wrong. We agreed that stopping sexual assault this was good, we just did not know how. At the end of the discussion while we did not come up with any ways that the problem could easily be addressed, our awareness was definitely increased. We just hope that little improvements, added here and there, can add up to make a big change. By: Carly Lassa Sexual Assault is a problem on every college campus, but especially Penn State. We routinely get PSU alerts telling us of yet another sexual assault report. That is the reason that I chose to attend the deliberation on March 3rd about sexual assault held at Wester’s Bookstore and Café. When I arrived, there were many people there. I went to sign in and get my packet to follow along with the discussion. I also very much enjoyed the free refreshments including coffee, tea, and cookies. I sat down at a table with some other classmates and waited to start the deliberation.
The group leader got up and thanked us all for coming to the deliberation. Then she started by asking what we thought when we get the emails and texts from PSU alerts saying there is another sexual assault. Many people said they thought it was wrong and sad, and some were sort of not phased by it because we get them so often. She explained how awful it is that it has become part of the culture here at Penn State. After a few other statistics, we split up into a couple different groups with about 2-3 moderators in each group. We were introduced to each approach shortly after that. The first approach was talking about sexual assault and its relationship with alcohol. Alcohol usage and sexual assault go hand in hand. Parents often tell their children before going off to college that if they go out and party there should definitely be some rules to always follow. Some examples would be to never put your drink down in fear of someone drugging it. Another one would be to not drink the “jungle juice” also for fear of being drugged. While this is a real problem in today’s society, (especially college campuses) it would be beneficial to just teach everyone not to drug in the first place. That is an unrealistic thought, but definitely making education better would help out. The next approach was help available. The only help available we could think of provided by PSU would be SAFEWALK and the blue lights, but those are only on campus. We thought it would be helpful to include an interactive and interesting presentation about sexual assault within the entire curriculum for freshman seminars. That way we could get the facts out and make people more aware of the issue. We also discussed the “angel shot” or “ask for Angela” tactic being implemented in bars and clubs. If someone feels uncomfortable, they can ask the bartender for an “angel shot” and the bartender will know that they need help and are in danger. The final approach was bystander intervention. That was another thing we thought should be included in the education surrounding sexual assault because some people are afraid to step in to help. Definitely just being aware and knowing that stepping in and making sure people are okay, even if they are strangers, could help save someone’s life. The groups came together to do a final wrap up and discussed the ideas that we all had come up with. On the tables where we were sitting, they had small forms explaining the “angel shot” and “ask for Angela” tactics in case any of us knew of bars downtown that would gladly implement that sort of policy. They also had little yellow stars that we could sign our name on as a symbol to pledge against sexual assault and pledge to do whatever we can to stop it if we ever see it potentially happening. I thought that was a very cool idea and a very cool wrap up sort of exercise. By: Caitlin Donahue When most people think of the typical college experience, they may picture a student spending hours on end studying, completing a seemingly infinite amount of homework, and of course, going out and drinking on the weekends. It is no secret that partying and drinking is a large component of many college students’ lives throughout the duration of their years at school. In fact, it seems as though alcohol consumption is an entirely normal and expected aspect of college life. But what about the potentially negative consequences that can result from what is inside that red solo cup at parties?
Although drinking at college parties may seem like completely normal way to cut loose and have fun, alcohol consumption can lead to many potentially dangerous situations. Despite the fact that alcohol is a common part of college, it is also closely linked to the increasing number of sexual assaults that occur on college campuses. Sexual assault has become an all too regular occurrence on college campuses, with one in five women being sexually assaulted while in college. But what role exactly does alcohol consumption play in sexual assault on college campuses? First, the consumption of alcohol can cause signs of consent in a situation to be unclear or easily misinterpreted. According to RAINN, consent is defined as “an agreement between both participants to engage in sexual activity.” Legally, if a person is under the influence of either alcohol or drugs, they cannot technically give their consent. If a person is under the influence of alcohol, they may not have the capacity to communicate their exact thoughts clearly and effectively and therefore may be unable to actually give or withhold their consent in a particular situation. Despite the fact that consent has a very precise legal definition, in reality it is not always that simple, especially when alcohol is added to the situation. However, it is not uncommon for college students to have sex while intoxicated, so how is it possible to be able to distinguish the clear signs of ‘yes’ versus ‘no’. Not surprisingly, there is no specific and exact answer to this very complicated issue. If both participants are intoxicated, the alcohol can not only affect one participant’s ability to communicate their consent but also may make it difficult for the other participant to be able to pick up on the signals given off by the other person. Even more complicated, being under the influence of alcohol can severely impair one’s judgment, sometimes causing people to do things they normally would not want to do if they were sober. This being said, what if a person thought they wanted to have sex with another person, but then realized they were not making the right decision? Furthermore, being intoxicated may make it more difficult to defend oneself in a potentially dangerous situation and make it easier for a person to take advantage of another person. What is even more shocking is that in most cases, sexual assault occurs between people who are acquaintances and knew each other and interacted before the actual assault took place. This may provide the victim with a false sense of trust in the other person, or lead the rapist to believe that it is perfectly acceptable to have sex with the other person, even without verbal consent. So, what can be done in order to prevent more sexual assaults from happening on college campuses? What realistic solutions to this complex issue can colleges start to implement on their campus? The most effective solution is only the most unrealistic and unreasonable: eliminating all alcohol consumption on college campuses and at parties that are off campus. This would help to solve the issue, however it is simply not practical and could never be fully enforced. Considering that alcohol is a significant contributing factor to sexual assault on college campuses and that it cannot just be easily taken away, what is left for colleges to do in order to prevent the continuation of sexual assaults? First, college can offer a more comprehensive education system on what exactly sexual is. This may seem like an obvious thing, however some students may be unsure of what is defined as sexual assault and may be unaware of how to detect when their sexual advances are unwanted. Furthermore, if students were taught the affects that alcohol can have their judgement and were told more directly how alcohol can make consent unclear, students may potentially be more conscious of these affects while intoxicated. Also, teaching students more openly and honestly about alcohol consumption may help some students be more inclined to make smarter choices regarding going out and drinking. Another method that colleges could implement in order to combat sexual assault is to stress the importance of bystander intervention. Bystander intervention is the idea that everyone is essentially looking out for everyone, and that if you see a person in a potentially dangerous situation you should step in and offer your assistance in some form. Simply asking a person if they are okay could help prevent a sexual assault from occurring. College campus should emphasize that as a school each student has an obligation to care for the well-being of their fellow students. Also, they should teach effective ways of intervening in a questionable situation so that students feel more comfortable and confident stepping in when they feel another student needs help. It is clear that sexual assault is a very complex and multi-dimensional issue, and when alcohol is added into the mix the situation only becomes more complicated. However, there are steps that college campuses and each student can take in order to prevent more sexual assaults from occurring. If college campuses and students start to take the initiative by becoming more educated on the topic of sexual assault and how alcohol worsens the situation, and the importance of bystander intervention in dangerous settings, then the amount of sexual assaults could greatly decrease. Sexual assault seems to be becoming a normal and exceedingly common aspect of college life, but it does not have to be. By: Billy Gault On Thursday, March 2, I attended a deliberation titled: “Take Back Our Campus: How Can We Prevent Sexual Assault at Penn State?” This deliberation was aimed at the rape culture that has been emerging on many campuses, like Penn State, around the nation. The deliberation began with the moderators welcoming everyone for attending. Then, the main moderator began with several broad questions for the audience members to answer. This was an effective way of getting the audience involved from the get go. Unlike the alcohol deliberation that I attended, this deliberation was broken up into smaller groups, like my group’s deliberation. The format of the entire deliberation went like this: introduce the approach, discuss the approach, summarize the approach. This layout was interesting and, I thought, worked very well. It allowed for everyone to discuss their individual thoughts, and then share them and collaborate with the entire group. The three approaches were alcohol, help available, and bystander intervention. I felt this deliberation was both important and relevant in society today.
The main idea behind the alcohol approach was that alcoholic beverages inhibit decision making, which ultimately can lead to sexual assault. There were many opinions on this topic as most of the students in my group had drank alcohol before. We decided that while sexual assault and alcohol had a correlation, there was no causation. Meaning one cannot say that alcohol causes sexual assault. The decision is ultimately up to the individual. Blaming alcohol is not an excuse because the alcohol did not make the decision, the person did. No matter how drunk a person is, there is always a small voice in the back of your head telling you if something doesn’t feel right. One way that alcohol related sexual assault may be combatted is by having harsher punishments for the crime. This may deter even the drunkest person from taking advantage of another. Next, we discussed the help that is available to students at Penn State. We began by thinking that there was an abundance of options here, but once we began speaking, it became clear that the only thing we could think of was Penn State’s safewalk program. This program is set up to so that individuals, who may feel threatened, have a buddy to walk home with at night. While this may seem like a great idea, one of my group members point out the flaws. She once tried it but was told that there was a 20 minute wait, which made it extremely inconvenient. We also began speaking of ideas that campuses can implement to prevent sexual assaults, and one of the better ideas was “Angela Shots.” If someone walks up to the bar and asks for an “Angela shot,” this means that they feel unsafe and the bartender should call them a cab to get them out of the situation. While this idea has already begun, spreading it across all college campuses could be extremely helpful in preventing sexual assault. The final, and most important, approach discussed was that of bystander intervention. This is arguably the best way to prevent sexual assault. Bystander intervention can range from calling an uber for a friend, to physically separating two people that seem to be in a bad situation. Bystander intervention is incredibly important because anybody can stop sexual assault from occurring, it just takes the courage to step in and say something. The confrontation doesn’t even have to be direct. Many girls in my group were discussing that they often go to the bathroom together and how this can be used to get a friend out of an uncomfortable situation. I, personally, have seen some very uncomfortable situations and have had to step in. For me intervening is not a problem, but for others it is. If everyone had the courage to step in and say something, sexual assault would be greatly reduced. By: Anna Shamory Summarization
The deliberation, “Take Back Our Campus: Preventing Sexual Assault at Penn State,” centered on three approaches to reduce sexual assault on college campuses. The first approach discussed alcohol, and the fact that alcohol is a major factor in sexual assault by lowering ability to communicate consent and perceive sexual signals. My group discussed the need for better, increased education about alcohol and sexual assault. That Penn State needs to do more than one pre-freshman online program, and present it in a more open and engaging platform so it is more impactful. Additionally, we weighed the idea of fraternities being required to have a third-party bartender so drinks can be better monitored. We all agreed frats are a major problem with how they handle alcohol and in turn those who drink, leading to increased opportunity for sexual assault. In approach two, help available, the groups discussed Safe Walk, blue lights, and “angel shots.” We concluded that PSU’s Safe Walk program is ineffectual as it currently is, with understaffing making wait times dangerously high. One girl brought up the idea of an improved Safe Walk run with golf carts for faster times, increased availability, and less creepy than being followed back to a dorm. For blue lights, we discussed how Penn State lacks in this department, with only four around campus, and that they need to build more. And lastly for downtown State College, we conversed about the advantages of implementing “Angel shots” for women who need to get out of uncomfortable positions in bars. For the third approach, bystander intervention was examined as an effective way to prevent sexual assault by different ways of intervention. We reached a consensus that the buddy system and having a game plan beforehand with friends was important so people can watch out for each other. Also, bystander intervention training could help students feel more comfortable knowing how to intervene effectively in a situation going south. One girl came up with saying to someone in need of help, “Hey didn’t we have English 15 together?” to distract and get the girl away from the guy (or vice versa). Analysis/Reflection I learned from the moderators and deliberation how I can become a better moderator. The format of their approaches was to have all of the groups listen to a moderator about the short introductions in each approach, then go back to discussion in each group. The conversation was sometimes abruptly cut off with this type of format. As a moderator, I learned that keeping it in the small groups the whole time might be easier to transition between sections. One of the moderators in my group mentioned outside information on how she had called and asked around downtown about the “angel shots” idea. This fact positively impacted her ethos to me, and made me think she really cared about this deliberation topic. I learned that it would further me positively as a moderator to show in small ways how I care deeply about whatever topic I am covering. In regards to the key issues discussed during the deliberation, each was distinct on their own to generate separate but equally useful discussion. But at the same time, I felt the moderators left enough open reigns that participants could come up with unique ideas; for instance, when one woman brought up the problem of fraternity parties and their overall environment here at Penn State, during the third approach. By: Amanda Michael I went to another of my section’s deliberations, “Take Back Our Campus: Preventing Sexual Assault at Penn State” on March 2nd. Even though it was in the 3:30 time slot, which is usually less crowded, this one was very well attended, which was good to see. I think that sexual assault is a big problem on our campus that both students and the administration keep talking about, but don’t do very much about. This would have been an excellent choice for some of said administration to come and listen in on, but unfortunately, the participants were all students. In better news, more boys came than I expected. This is their problem too, and even if they were just coming for extra credit I think their input on the issue is necessary as well.
The deliberation started with a nice introduction, which involved a lot more active audience participation than the first deliberation I attended. Most weren’t eager to speak up at the beginning, but I’d been in this group’s shoes the night before and tried to talk as much as possible. This subject really interests me as well, which helps. The transition into small group discussion was good and well thought out--one of the moderators introduced the topic to the whole group, and then the individual tables started their conversation amongst themselves and the moderators. I had an active group, which was nice and allowed us to jump right into deeper questions. However, I did think that our first moderator was too involved in the conversation. We were happy to carry on the conversation ourselves, but he kept jumping in at small pauses to ask another question. I can understand wanting to cover certain topics, but he didn’t let the conversation flow as naturally as it could have. The options laid out by the moderators were the impact of alcohol, university services, and the bystander effect on the high levels of sexual assault here at Penn State. I thought these were good options to get people talking, but I would have preferred more of a discussion on the cultural reasons behind why sexual assault is so common and why so many instances go unreported. On the other hand, this could easily lead to fighting and more debate rather than deliberation, so I can understand why they might avoid subjects like rape culture and victim shaming. What my group ended up talking about the most was the drinking habits of normal Penn State students, and why there might be more drinking at Penn State than other universities. Someone brought up the point that Penn State is very isolated, and there isn’t much to do on weekends besides drink and go to frat parties, leading to more frequent and heavier drinking. We also decided that the university needed to change the way it educated incoming students about the negative effects of binge drinking and getting drunk. Their current methods are honestly impersonal at best and patronizing at worst. By the end of the deliberation we’d covered a lot of ground in terms of drinking, university involvement, and encouraging bystanders to intervene. These are tough subjects to talk about, since there’s no clear answer and even if there was, it would be difficult to implement. It’s easy to say that students should watch out for each other at bars and parties, but much harder to make people actually do it. Regardless, I felt that the conversation opened me up to some new ideas and I left feeling more educated on sexual assault and how to help kids in trouble than I did before I came that afternoon. By: Alexandra Daley The first public deliberation I attended was titled, “No Means No! - How Can We Prevent Sexual Assault on College Campuses?” and it was one of the groups from Cynthia’s classes. The purpose of this deliberation was to bring attention to rape culture on college campuses and the big concerns it raises in the college community. The group did a very nice job of bringing up the main issues and concerns about rape and sexual assault on college campuses and what we can do to help get rid of rape and sexual assault. The group started off with an introduction to their topic and what the deliberation would cover, then they broke up into groups and discussed their three main approaches on how sexual assault can be prevented in the future and what people can do to prevent it. The discussions were guided by questions from the moderators, and the audience members responded with ideas on how to resolve the issues brought to the table. After the discussions in groups, the moderators brought everything together and we discussed, as a whole, the general ideas of the approaches and what can be done to prevent sexual assault. I learned from their presentation and their moderation how to present to a group and how to take action for my deliberation that I did. Watching them gave me a good idea on how to present our questions and how to engage the audience in discussion based off of our topic and approaches.
The three main approaches this group discussed were legislation and reforms, educational programs, and social structures/resources. Each of these approaches had sub-categories/options to go deeper into. The three options discussed for legislation and reforms include action plans for harsher punishments and stricter laws, standardized punishments, and federal level programs/resources. The three options discussed for educational programs include action plans for how the school system is responsible for K-12 sexual assault education, government organizations responsible for K-12 sexual assault education, and outside organizations are responsible for K-12 sexual assault education. Lastly, the three options discussed for social structures/resources include action plans for mandatory training and education for students, flux of non-mandatory resources for students, and structures placed in high risk environments to get people home safely. After all the options and approaches were discussed, the group members sought out the audience to take action outside of the deliberation and voice our concerns for this widespread epidemic of sexual assault. Some of the ways the audience could take action is by attending other deliberations related to a similar topic on sexual assault, visiting websites that discuss the problems at hand, and contacting senators. By going out and taking action, it is more likely that we as a student body and people can prevent and eliminate the high rates of sexual assault on our college campuses. It may seem like a small step to take, simply contacting a representative or visiting a website, but I do believe that these small steps can lead to a larger solution. By: Adam Kleiber On March 2, 2017, I attended a public deliberation titled: “Take Back Our Campus: Preventing Sexual Assault.” This deliberation took place from 3:30 to 5:00 pm at Webster’s Bookstore, 133 E. Beaver Avenue. The event was hosted and moderated by Penn State students named Adam, Harshitha, Jessica, Hugo, Gwen, Matt, Caroline, Caitlin, and Duneshka.
The first approach for addressing the issue of sexual assault was “reducing alcohol consumption.” My group’s moderators discussed some statistics that connected alcohol consumption to sexual assault. For example, 50% of students at Penn State describe themselves as “moderate or heavy” drinkers. According to our moderators, studies have been done that connect moderate drinking to sexual assault. Our group discussed how, although alcohol can sometimes contribute to “blurred lines” of consent, it is important to behave responsibly even when under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, there was a discussion of how the rules of consent shift when one person is drunk and when both people are drunk. There was also a discussion of how it is the responsibility of bystanders to recognize when individuals are too drunk and help them get home safely. The second approach for dealing with the issue of sexual assault was “help available.” Our group moderator discussed SAFE WALK, blue light emergency phones, and other similar options. We talked about how SAFE WALK wasn’t very effective due to the long wait times and inconvenience of using it off-campus. One person in our group had tried to use it before, but ended up having to wait almost 20 minutes for an auxiliary police officer to arrive. Furthermore, the blue light emergency phones are supposed to be visible from almost everywhere outside on campus, but unfortunately, there are many places that these phones are unaccessible from. A specific location that was brought up was behind the lab buildings, a place a lot of students cut through on their way across campus. As such, the group thought that more emergency lights should be added so they truly are accessible everywhere on campus. The third approach for tackling the issue of sexual assault was “bystander intervention.” The premise of this topic was that people who see sexual assault (or potential sexual assault) occurring are currently too unwilling to step-in and take action. The guys in my group talked about how sometimes it can be hard to step-in and tell a guy to knock it off without it turning into a larger confrontation. Some of the girls discussed strategies for dealing with potential sexual assault scenarios in a less confrontational way that de-escalates the situation rather than escalating it. Basically, the conclusion we came to is: it’s worth a moment of awkwardness or confrontation if you can protect a girl or guy from a tremendous amount of emotional and physical pain. In conclusion, I thought this deliberation was pretty insightful. Sexual assault is definitely a major issue, so having a public forum to voice concerns and ideas for moving forward is definitely invaluable for creating a safer community at Penn State. Hopefully some of the ideas discussed at this deliberation are seen by the administration and implemented as soon as possible. |
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