Sexual consent training at UVU

Carrie Laudie | News Editor | @carrielaudie

UVU is trying to change the conversation and culture around sexual consent in the community. Every Tuesday from 12-1 in SL 101, a campus safety workshop is being held to help facilitate conversation and education among students. The facilitators are Brooke Swallow of Utah Valley Interfaith and Kindra Amott, administrator in the Philosophy and Humanities department. These workshops are funded through the Student Affairs office, and orchestrated by Alexis Palmer, associate vice president of student life and dean of students.

There are startling statistics surrounding rape – 25 percent of college-aged women will be raped during their college career. This number comes from surveys in which respondents were asked if they were ever held down or forcefully restrained during sex. Of that number, only six percent viewed their experience as a rape. 85 percent of rape victims know their partner. 42 percent of rape victims tell no one and only 5 percent tell police.

Just as startling are the statistics surrounding men. Six percent of male respondents admit to forcing someone to have sexual intercourse, and 88 percent don’t think that it is rape.

“We will be spend time on what consent really means and how do we know if we have it,” said Amott.

Amott and Swallow hope this series of workshops help students understand the complex issue of sexual consent, and that students will attend and bring friends. “If we have repeat attenders then we can do activities where we really engage in conversation with each other,” said Amott.

Students can also get involved by volunteering for campus safety week, which will be held in April. A volunteer committee meets every other Friday to plan this event. To volunteer, contact Swallow at brooke.swallow74@gmail.com. The next planning meeting will be Friday, March 20.

Pamphlets and information are also available for students on sexual assault in Palmer’s office, SL 202.