PEACE OUTside Campus was a panel member at the YWCA’s Fall Symposium “Combating Sexual Assault On College Campuses” on Monday, October 26th, 2015.  There were over 70 individuals in attendance, including: students, parents, college and university administrators, organizations, and local, state and national government officials to discuss the current state of Sexual Assault on College Campuses. Panelists included:

• Kitley S. Covill, Esq., Board Co-President YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester
• Cynthia Markus-Jones, University Police Inspector SUNY Purchase
• Elise Murphy, Program Director PEACE OUTside Campus, The Lindsey M. Bonistall Foundation
• Carol Robles-Roman, President/CEO Legal Momentum
• Monica Sobrin, Student/Representative Fordham University and Students United for Safer Schools

The Facts:

• 1 in 4  women experience sexual assault in college
• 1 in 16 men experience sexual assault while in college.
• Among nearly 9 out of 10 college women who are raped know their attacker
• 90% of campus rapes are perpetrated by repeat offenders
• Between 80-905 of rape and sexual assault victimizations of students go unreported to police.  However, in two-thirds of the incidents the victim did tell another person, usually a friend, not family or school officials.

 Discussion included:

• “Enough is Enough” legislation – What NY is doing to be at the forefront of Sexual Assault Prevention and Accountability
• Title IX Rights and Responsibilities of College and Universities
• Importance of early education and discuss of sexual assault before college - California law requiring consent and sexual violence prevention education in high school
• The role alcohol and sexual assault

Training is underway for the Fall 2015 Teens 'N Transition program leaders.  This season, POC has brought together 11 college students representing 1 mission: student safety.  TNT program leaders range from Freshman to Seniors and come from Iona College, Manhattanville College, Pace University, and Purchase College.  All with different backgrounds and different stories, our fall interns can't wait to share what they've learned at college and look forward to passing along crucial information to high school students this fall.  We are very excited about this presentation season!  

Prior to presenting, all interns must go through an intensive training program. Training begins by learning about Lindsey Marie Bonistall, our Foundation’s namesake. Interns also get to hear from Board Vice-Chair, Kathleen Bonistall, about Lindsey’s legacy and the Foundation. Followed by the background of PEACE OUTside Campus, interns are taught about leading campus safety legislation like the Clery Act, Title IX, and the recent NY "Enough Is Enough" law.  

Much of the training is specifically spent learning about our presentation topics, which include: on and off campus living, personal safety, social life, hazing, influence of alcohol, date rape drugs, sexual assault, and dating violence. Interns are also instructed in the art of public speaking. 

This season, we are thrilled to have two guest speakers enhance our training program. Clarissa Espinoza, from Victims Assistance Services, will explain the traumatic impact of sexual victimization.  Interns will also learn about different types of abusive relationships, how to seek help, and legislation surrounding dating violence from Natalie Sobchak at Pace Women’s Justice Center. 

By late October, interns will be well versed in the content and will go through several rounds of mock presentations before presenting in front of the Board of Directors at PEACE OUTside Campus. With the Board’s approval, each intern will be ready to present to area schools.

If you are interested in scheduling a program for your high school or want more information about Teens ‘N Transition, please call 914-428-4411 or email [email protected]. 

PEACE OUTside Campus attended The Fearless Conference hosted by The Do Write Campaign and Joyful Heart Foundation on Friday, September 18, 2015 in NYC.  The event brought together high school and college students, parents, administrators, law makers, likeminded organizations, and movie producers to discuss Sexual Assault Prevention. Presenters included:

• “The Backlog Crisis” - Ilse Knecht, senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, Joyful Heart Foundation
• “The Call to Men” – Ted Bunch, Co-Founder and Director of A Call to Men
• “The Call to Students” – Josy Jablons and Meghan Racklin, NYU “The Call to Parents” – Charlotte Poth, The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education
• “The Call to Conversation” – Katie Cappiello and Meg McInerney, SLUT: The Play
• “The Call to Action” – Ileana Jimenez, Student Active For Ending Rape (SAFER), Representative Sarah Merrimen, Jessica Buchanan, The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education, and Jean Bucaria, NOW-NYC

In addition to the guest speakers and discussion based workshops, there was a screening of The Hunting Ground.   The Oscar-nominated film is an exposé of rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families written and directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Amy Ziering.  Also shown was an introduction to the film India’s Daughter.   Directed by Leslee Udwin, the film is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman who was a physiotherapy student.  There was a brief Q&A with Producer Peggy Cafferty and Director Leslee Udwin following the film. 

Information to check out: 

1. Callisto is designed to provide a more empowering, transparent, and confidential reporting experience for college sexual assault survivors.  Students can fill out an account of an incident online, save the report, and decide if they want to report now or later.  Website:  https://www.projectcallisto.org/
2. Amnesty Policies at colleges/universities – (similar to the Good Samaritan Policy) students cannot be punished for use of illegal drugs/underage drinking/etc while reporting sexual assault.  Check to see if your campus has an Amnesty Policy!
3. Better Sex Talk - http://www.bstcampaign.org/
4. End the Backlog - http://endthebacklog.org/ Information and alerts regarding rape kit backlogs.