Student Spotlight: Helen Robins and Simran Jain of SAPHE
As co-presidents of Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE), we have made it our mission to help support the one in three people on Tulane’s campus who have been victims of sexual violence, as well as those in the community who love them. In the past few years, sexual violence has become a prevalent topic in mainstream media, with many high-profile cases and widespread movements such as #metoo. As cultural awareness expands, we want to use this momentum to spark a dialogue on Tulane’s campus.
SAPHE’s mission is twofold: to support and respond to survivors and to create programming to help educate the community and prevent the spread of sexual violence. The SAPHE hotline serves as a 24/7 student-run resource for survivors and those who have been affected by sexual violence. We also provide emotional support at events happening around campus or in the community. Finally, we provide workshops regarding rape culture and consent to create spaces for productive conversations and education. All of our members have received over forty hours of training to be the most effective and qualified advocates we can offer.
If this mission speaks to you or if you’d like to get involved, we encourage you to apply for SAPHE or join the other sexual violence related organizations on campus. Recruitment information is forthcoming and we hope you will join us for our annual Healthy Relationships Week, April 7-13. For more information, please visit our Facebook page at SAPHE: Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education.
Next year, we will be moving under the umbrella of Campus Health as a departmental student organization, alongside Tulane University Peer Health Educators (TUPHE) and Tulane Emergency Medical Services (TEMS). We are so excited to continue to serve the Tulane community!
New Videos Help Victims Understand and Navigate the Reporting Process
The All In website now features a new set of videos designed to help victims of sexual misconduct understand and navigate the reporting process with the Office of Student Conduct. The Office of Student Conduct is responsible for investigating reports where a Tulane student is alleged to have committed an act of sexual misconduct, an umbrella term that includes sexual or gender-based harassment, sexual assault, stalking, intimate partner violence, and sexual exploitation.
The set of eleven videos features fourteen different students. The series walks a victim of sexual misconduct through their options for support and reporting as well as factors that they may want to consider when deciding whether or not to report. The remainder of the videos in the series explain the different steps in the conduct process once a student makes the choice to make a formal report and initiate an investigation. Although the videos are directed at a student who has been a victim of sexual misconduct, they are also a helpful resource for friends or family members who may be helping a loved one to navigate their options or for anyone interested in learning more about how Tulane investigates and adjudicates sexual misconduct cases.
The videos were a joint project between the Office of Student Conduct and the Title IX office. View the videos on the All In website.
Learn More About Sexual Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities
During April, Tulane’s Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity will publish a series of articles in their weekly e-newsletter which will examine sexual violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) communities.
Tulane students are writing the articles for April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month and as part of the All In Initiative. Topics will include the importance of community-based support, queering #MeToo, the intersections of race and gender in sexual violence, and dating apps and sexual violence. Given the disproportionate impact of sexual violence in LGBTQ+ communities, this is essential reading for anyone concerned about the issue.
To read the series and get updates on LGBTQ+ happenings on and off campus, subscribe to OGSD’s weekly e-newsletter, Spectrum.
Faculty Spotlight: Take a Class from Tulane’s Violence Experts
Registration for summer and fall 2019 course begins on April 3. As you begin to plan your class schedule, consider taking a course that examines sexual violence and related issues. Tulane’s Violence Prevention Institute brings together faculty experts from across academic disciplines who are examining the causes and consequences of various types of violence as well as strategies for reducing and eliminating violence locally and globally. The Violence Prevention Institute maintains a list of violence-related courses at Tulane at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We encourage you to take a look at the list and to explore the Violence Prevention Institute’s website to learn more about our faculty’s work.
What We’re Reading
This month, we are taking a look at research on violence perpetration.
In Violence Against Women, read about Michael P. Johnson’s typology of intimate partner violence, which describes four different types of violence that occur within intimate relationships, as well as a more recent study that validates and expands on this typology. Recent research has also extended Johnson’s typology to same-sex relationships. For another look at intimate partner violence in same-sex relationships, as well as treatment options for perpetrators in these cases, take a look at research by Tulane alumnus Clare Cannon and Tulane faculty member Fred Buttell in Partner Abuse.
Turning to sexual assault perpetration, two recent studies in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs look at factors associated with sexual assault perpetration among college students. One study looked at a sample of college students to identify the prevalence of sexual assault perpetration as well as factors correlated with perpetrating sexual violence. This sample included women and gender-nonconforming individuals, which differs from many studies that focus only on male perpetrators. In another recent study focusing on male perpetrators, researchers found that, although alcohol use is correlated with perpetrating sexual assault, heavy alcohol use does not cause someone to perpetrate sexual violence. Instead, they found evidence that key personal characteristics increase the likelihood for men both to drink heavily and to perpetrate sexual assault. The researchers suggest that men who are identified as heavy drinkers can be targeted for interventions related to sexual assault perpetration as well as their alcohol use.
Upcoming Events
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Tulane is offering a variety of programs and opportunities for community members to engage with this important issue. Join us on April 2 at Tulane Tuesday to kick off the month and visit allin.tulane.edu/events for the full schedule of events.
Featured Event: Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action
April 2, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
LBC 1st floor
Wear Teal and join the Student Coalition for Sexual Violence Prevention and Response for Tulane Tuesday at the LBC to kick-off Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Members of the Student Coalition will be handing out teal popcorn and other giveaways as well as information about sexual violence resources.
