UTA strictly prohibits the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking (VAWA Offenses) as defined by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) within its campus community and has in place programming that promotes awareness of and educates people about preventing the VAWA Offenses.
UTA’s programming targets the needs of its campus community. As required by the Clery Act, the programming is “comprehensive, intentional” and “integrates initiatives, strategies and campaigns that are culturally relevant, inclusive of diverse communities and identities, sustainable, responsive to community needs, informed by research or assessed for value, effectiveness or outcome, and consider environmental risk and protective factors as they occur on the individual, relationship, institutional, community, and societal levels.” (1)
UTA provides both Primary Prevention and Awareness programming for incoming and transfer students, and new employees. UTA also provides ongoing Primary Prevention and Awareness programming for its current students and employees. UTA also incorporates information related to Bystander Intervention and Risk Reduction into this programming. UTA provides Primary Prevention and Awareness programming primarily through its Relationship Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program (RVSP), but may provide it through other departments as well, e.g. the UTA Police Department and the Office of Human Resources.
Elements of Primary Prevention, Awareness, Bystander Intervention and Risk Reduction may be offered individually or in any combination in a single program, or may even be offered in non-VAWA offense training. UTA uses multiple strategies throughout the year to deliver its Primary Prevention and Awareness programming, including but not limited to: social media posts, email blasts, notices on bulletin boards; posters, radio and newspaper advertisements; presentations and workshops for individual sports teams, fraternity/sorority houses, residence halls, and the campus community in general; booths at student fairs and other campus events; faculty led discussions of issues and services available and promotion of programs and events; and compliance training modules.
Awareness programs are community-wide or audience-specific programming, initiatives and strategies that increase audience knowledge, and share information and resources to prevent violence, promote safety and reduce perpetration. (2)
Primary prevention programs are programming, initiatives and strategies intended to stop dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking before they occur through the promotion of positive and healthy behaviors that foster healthy, mutually respectful relationships and sexuality, encourage safe bystander intervention, and seek to change behavior and social norms in healthy and safe directions. (4)
Bystander intervention is defined as safe and positive options that may be carried out by an individual or individuals to prevent harm or intervene when there is a risk of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Bystander intervention includes recognizing situations of potential harm; understanding institutional structures and cultural conditions that facilitate violence (this might include fraternity or sports cultures at some institutions); overcoming barriers to intervening; identifying safe and effective intervention options; and taking action to intervene. (3) Examples of safe and positive options of Bystander Intervention include: calling 911 when a person is yelling at or being physically abusive towards another and it isn’t safe to intervene; asking people who look like they are in trouble if they need help; confronting those who seclude, hit on, try to make out or have sex with people who are incapacitated or those who plan on taking sexual advantage of another; believing people who disclose they have been sexually assaulted, abused or stalked and referring them to on or off campus resources for support.
Risk reduction is defined as options designed to: decrease perpetration and bystander inaction; increase empowerment for victims in order to promote safety; and help individuals and communities address conditions that facilitate violence. (5) Risk Reduction will never be presented in a manner that encourages victim blaming and includes but is not limited to the following strategies: being aware of your surroundings; knowing where you are and who is around you; avoiding isolated areas; walking with purpose; trusting your instincts -- if a situation or location feels unsafe or uncomfortable, don’t stay; if you see something suspicious, contact law enforcement; not loading yourself down with packages or bags; making sure your cell phone is with you and charged and that you have a reliable transportation plan; not allowing yourself to be isolated with someone you don’t trust or someone you don’t know; avoiding putting music headphones in both ears so that you can be more aware of your surroundings; going to social gatherings with a group of friends and checking in with each other throughout the evening, and leaving together; not leaving your drink unattended and not accepting drinks from people you don't know or trust; not drinking from punch bowls or other large, common open containers.
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
1The Handbook for Campus and Safety and Security Reporting, 2016 Edition, Washington, D.C., 2016, p. 8-3 - 8-4.
2Id. at 8-4.
3 The Handbook for Campus and Safety and Security Reporting, 2016 Edition, Washington, D.C., 2016, p. 8-7.
4Id. at 8-4.
5Id. at 8-7.
Questions about Programming