Sexual Assault Action Month (SAAM)

The following are small but powerful ways to let others know you care about those who have been impacted by violence and care about keeping people safe. When people know you care, they're more likely to open up about their experiences or your words and actions can inspire them to care as well. 

1. Follow @DartmouthSWC, @DartmouthSAPA, @WISEuv on Instagram. 

• Like, comment, and share weekly posts with your followers.

2. Advertise campus events associated with sexual violence prevention (e.g., events about positive relationships & sex; power, equity & belonging; bystander intervention; resources & supporting survivors) to your peers.

3. Are you an Exec. in a student organization? Ask your members if they are up-to-date with their Sexual Violence Prevention Project (SVPP) training.

• Follow-up with members who aren't and share with them why participating matters.
• Acknowledge those who did complete trainings & thank them for supporting sexual violence prevention.

4. Ask your friends, peers, students, teammates what they have been learning in their SVPP training.

5. Advertise upcoming SVPP trainings.

6. Hang SVPP posters in your common areas, bathrooms, & on doors.

7. Encourage students to participate in SVPP surveys & tell them why completing surveys matters.

8. Donate to organizations working to end sexual violence, like WISE, INCITE! National, Trans Women of Color Collective, A Long Walk Home, 1 in 6, National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, etc. 

9. Contact the Student Wellness Center, Office of Pluralism and Leadership, or WISE to co-sponsor an event or workshop around sexual violence prevention.

10. If you're a student, participate in your SVPP training.

11. Respect others' bodies & boundaries in intimate settings, at social events, in classrooms and locker rooms, etc.

12. Communicate your intentions honestly with potential dating partners/hook-ups/new members, before acting.

13. Ask & wait for permission before acting.

14. Accept & respect when a colleague/peer/member/partner/hook-up/guest communicates hesitation or a 'no'.

15. Share your pronouns.

16. Ask others' pronouns and use the ones they share.

17. Respond honestly to surveys about sexual assault.

18. Intervene when you see or hear about something concerning and back others up when they intervene.

19. If you drink, drink in low-risk ways so you can stay in control of your actions and help others who may be in need.

20. Avoid harmful terms used to address women/hook-ups/exs/new members/teammates (e.g., slut, hoe, bitch, fag, pussy, etc.)

21. Believe when someone discloses an experience of sexual or relationship violence.

22. Provide resources and support when someone discloses that they've experienced sexual or relationship violence

23. When you mess up, accept responsibility, learn from your actions, and work to make amends.

24. Reflect on your own behaviors. Are there things you do that reinforce harmful behaviors, hypermasculinity, or callous attitudes about sex? If so, work on changing them.

25. Tell others why preventing sexual violence matters to you.

26. Talk with others about respecting people's bodies & boundaries & why it matters.

27. Remind friends/teammates/classmates/members of upcoming SVPP trainings.

28. Discourage/stop publicly sharing stories about sexual experiences that involve others without their permission.

29. Discourage/stop using harmful terms to address hook-ups/exs/members/guests. 

30. Check in with people you are concerned about and let them know you care.

31. Connect people who disclose an assault, partner violence, stalking, harassment, or exploitation, with resources or support (confidential supports include WISE, Counselors, the College Chaplain, and healthcare providers).

32. Discuss publicly why preventing SV matters to you and your organization/dept./team

33. Invite others to attend SVPP training with you

34. After completing your SVPP training, talk with others about what you're learning.

35. Thank people when you see or hear that they intervened or supported someone.

36. If you witness concerning behavior, report it through the LiveSafe app or call Safety & Security 603-646-4000. 

37. If a peer/friend/classmate/colleague is engaging in harmful behaviors, talk honestly with them about your concerns.

38. Become a SVPP Facilitator, SAPA, join the SVPP Student Advisory Board or SPCSA, or volunteer with WISE.

• If you are already involved, tell others what you're learning in your position and your experience in this group.

39. Message others before & during social events encouraging them all to intervene.

40. Share stories about times you or others intervened.

41. If you drink, let others see you also drink non-alcoholic beverages so they know it's okay. 

42.Plan bonding events with friends/members/teammates that are low-risk/no alcohol to help build positive relationships with each other and foster a positive culture (e.g., game nights, Dartmouth Outing Club trips, team sports, spikeball, volunteer, watch something together, attend another member's performance/game, etc.). Lots of people are actually interested in hanging out & getting to know each other without drinking. 

43. Request a Sexual Violence Prevention workshop or conversation for your members. 

44. When holding a discussion/event about sexual violence prevention, make sure everyone walks away with an action step, one thing each member will do. This will help create change!

45. Attend events about sexual violence (e.g., Take Back the Night, SPCSA round tables, SPCSA Symposium, Vox, Visibility, etc).

• Invite others to attend with you 
• Go collectively as a department, organization, or team.

46. Review your organization or department's prevention strategies and share them with potential new members & current members.

47. Watch a movie like 'The Mask you Live in,' or  '#MeToo, Now What?' and hold a discussion that includes action steps.

48. Read an article or book like Sexual Citizens (or one chapter at a time) as a group. Discuss and then implement changes based on what you learned.

49. Take a WGSS course, do a class project, or read more about sexual violence prevention. 

50. Listen to Podcasts like Resource on the Go or About Consent.

51. Have older/sober people do rounds during parties to keep an eye on sketchy behavior and concerning areas like bedrooms, bathrooms, dark corners, etc.

52. If hosting events with alcohol, only serve drinks in closed containers to control serving sizes and tampering.

53. If hosting events off campus, provide independent transportation in case someone wants to leave before their date (e.g., sober drivers, Uber/Lyft, bus/car that leaves early, etc.).

54. Provide water, other non-alcoholic beverages, and food at parties/events in a prominent location.

55. Offer non-alcoholic beverages before offering anything with alcohol. 

56. Avoid pushing drinks on others or encouraging people to consume alcohol quickly or in large quantities.

57. Cut people off who have had too much to drink, get them food & water, and keep an eye on them.

58. Let guests know who they can reach out to if they need help.

59. Make sure people who are drunk/high get home safely. Have a sober person stay to monitor them and/or call a Good Sam if needed, 603-646-4000.

60. Host a large late-night event on an on-night, without alcohol, to authentically connect with others and reinforce that you can have fun without alcohol.

61. Have sober members stay until the last guests leave and do a walk through to help ensure no one is really drunk or passed out.

62. Uphold College Alcohol Management Policies (AMP) like checking IDs & wrist bands, not serving hard alcohol.

63. Use our Strategies for Hosting Low-Risk Parties & Events for a more thorough checklist as you plan your next party/event.