Safe Living and Learning: More Than 4,600 Students Participate in Title IX Training

The recent release of a

White House report

on protecting students from sexual assault has raised attention to crimes of sexual violence and their consequences to a new level of national prominence.

At the University of Cincinnati, new training and resources have been added to long-standing advocacy and education efforts related to reducing sexual misconduct.

• SEE online listing of support resources at UC and in the community.
  

Among new sexual assault prevention efforts at UC is online training – titled

“Think About It”

– available since July 1 for incoming students, those who started in Fall 2014.

So far,

more than 4,600 incoming first-year, transfer and international students have participated in the new online training

, which is part of an enhanced focus on prevention of sexual misconduct and protection of students.

New students have until Sept. 10 to take the training.

The online training focuses on the role alcohol often plays in terms of sexual misconduct, accountability and consequences, laws and policies governing sexual assault, and services and resources available to victims of assault, according to Debra Merchant, UC vice president of student affairs.

After taking the training, participating students answered a brief survey:

• Just over 99 percent of the students taking the training felt confident they’ll be able to recognize attitudes condoning sexual violence.

• More than 98 percent believe they know how to safely have fun at college parties after completing the “Think About It” section about partying smart.

• Just over 95 percent responded that the online training provided them a fuller understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like.

• Almost 90 percent reported that the “Think About It” training help them better understand campus sexual culture.

UC’s Merchant stated that training was part of the university’s “focus on education related to these issues and on prevention of sexual assault in the first place as the best way to protect our campus community.”

The training is just one of the tools UC is using to prevent sexual assault and to provide education on the issue. Other initiatives include

• UC recently hired a new counselor in Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) to focus on serving the general needs of students but also to be available to specifically assist sexual assault victims. Another such counselor will be hired in the near future.

• UC will hire a new Title IX coordinator to focus on both prevention as well as the resolution of cases involving sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.

• UC will launch a Title IX website for the campus community.

• UC will conduct ongoing campus climate surveys to track student attitudes, awareness and experiences around these issues and to make changes to campus educational and prevention offerings as necessary.

“Think About It” is not the first time UC has used online training to reach incoming students. UC has previously conducted online alcohol awareness training for incoming students, and last year, about 3,500 incoming students participated in that training.

• SEE online listing of support resources at UC and in the community.