Students providing a safe space to talk about sexual assault
Sexual Assault Prevention Education Program provides student-led workshops, programming
By Kyle Hobstetter on April 23, 2023
Towson University and its students are helping prevent sexual violence on- and off-campus through the Sexual Assault Prevention Education (SAPE) Program.
The group, which is part of the TU Health Center, features six students from different majors who are trained to provide accurate, accessible and helpful information to prevent sexual violence.
The program also teaches how important consent is in everyday life.
“We try to emphasize consent in not just sexual relationships but also non-sexual relationships,” says Dymond Hamlin, coordinator of health education and promotion at the TU Health Center and the adviser for SAPE. “Because that will help develop the necessary skills to be intentional about asking people to do things, which is the root of preventing sexual violence.”
Towson University Health Center
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a national campaign to highlight sexual violence as a public health, human rights and social justice issue and reinforce the need for prevention efforts.
The Counseling Center can assist students who have experienced sexual violence. The staff also educates the university community about sexual violence and violence prevention.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, you do not have to face the situation alone. Contact the Counseling Center at 410-704-2512 to speak with a counselor for assistance and support.
Check out the all the Towson University’s Sexual Assault Prevention Resources.
One of the unique aspects of SAPE is that the program is facilitated by students. These peer educators hold programming across campus, provide information at events sponsored by other departments and host workshops for classes and campus organizations.
Workshops include:
- Bystander Intervention — In this training, students learn skills and strategies to intervene in situations that could escalate to sexual violence.
- Red Flags, Green Flags — This training teaches how to identify if a relationship is healthy and provide strategies for helping a friend.
- Safe Squad Goals —Students can learn bystander intervention and emergency response strategies that will keep their friends safe by preventing violence or responding in a situation involving drugs or alcohol.
- Supporting Survivors — This workshop trains participants to empathize with and support friends and peers impacted by sexual violence.
- Title IX for Student Leaders — Student leaders learn federal laws and TU policies related to sexual violence, how to identify sexual violence and consent, strategies to support friends and peers who have experienced sexual violence, the university process of reporting sexual violence, and on- and off-campus resources.
Each workshop is led by students and not only raises awareness about sexual violence but also provides a leadership opportunity for the peer educators.
“Our peer educators are learning facilitation skills, time management, leadership skills and skills on how to navigate very difficult conversations,” Hamlin says. “Sexual violence or sexual violence prevention is not something that is easy to talk about. But our SAPE students are able to navigate the conversation in a way that keeps it interesting.”
Jerrica Robertson ‘22 works in the TU Health Center as the health education and promotion graduate assistant. During her undergraduate career, she worked as peer educator for the Counseling Center and now helps the current crop of SAPE peer educators.
When she returned to TU to earn her master’s degree in clinical psychology, Robertson quickly signed up to help the next generation of peer educators because of her experience in the tight-knit community.
“I’ve seen how impactful this work can be for a lot of students,” Robertson says. “It’s such a great experience that allows you to build your personal skills, your resume and create a better community on our campus.”
Students interested in joining SAPE should complete an application now.
Sexual Assault AwareNess Month
Upcoming Events
Rape Culture Workshop and Discussion
Tues., April 25 | 4–6 p.m. | University Union, 321B
Join the TU Health and Counseling centers to understand rape culture and learn strategies to dismantle it.
Denim Day
Wed., April 26
Denim Day is the last Wednesday of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This day of action is an event where people are encouraged to wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence.