Sexual Assault Prevention Training Courses

Arkansas Tech has partnered with Vector Solutions, whose mission is to help students address critical life skills, in high schools and higher education institutions across the country. Vector Solutions provides a training course called Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates to help incoming students understand the issues related to sexual violence. Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates relies on proven prevention theories and educational strategies to increase student awareness of sexual misconduct and is designed to assist us in meeting legal requirements and guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Each year over a half million students complete these courses nationwide. All new first year and transfer students are required to complete this course. This course is part of an ongoing and proactive educational campaign aimed at keeping students safe and well-informed.

Sexual Assault Prevention for Adult Learners is a tailored sexual assault prevention training course for learners who are not fresh out of high school. This program recognizes that these students' identities and life experiences puts them in a unique position to make a positive difference in the lives of other students, as well as others they care about. The course covers how to recognize and take action in potentially harmful situations (in-person and virtually), including options for how to respond if someone approaches one of these learners for help.

Vector Solutions also provides a training course called Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students, a tailored sexual assault prevention training for post-baccalaureate student groups including graduate/professional students and adult learners. All new graduate students are required to complete Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students online.

In addition to completing a sexual assault prevention training course up in the first semester at ATU, all students are required to complete an annual training course offered by Vector Solutions. This annual training builds upon previous courses students have completed with a special focus on fostering healthy relationships. If you have questions about these training courses, please contact Amy Pennington, AVP/Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator, at apennington@atu.edu or via phone at 479-968-0407.

LOVE SHOULDN'T HURT 

WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSE

If you or someone you know are experiencing relationship or sexual violence, help is available through campus and community resources listed here.

Some red flags of abuse include:

• Controlling behavior
• Excessive or threatening contact through text messages, telephone calls, or other forms of communication
• Obsessive jealousy
• Physical violence such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, etc.
• Put downs and name-calling
• Sexual pressure
• Isolating their partner from friends and/or family
• Threatening to leave or take their own life

Some warning signs someone being abused include:

• Making excuses for injuries
• Making excuses for a partner's bad behavior
• Fear of a dating partner
• Isolation from friends and/or family
• Skipping out on class, work, or social gatherings for no clear reason
• Noticeable changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Alcohol and/or other drug use
• Loss of self-confidence
• Constantly checking in with their partner
• Depression and/or anxiety
• Drastic personality changes

 For additional and more detailed information related to options for ongoing assistance and reporting, please see the Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct) and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures located here and in the Student Handbook.

We all have a part to play in the fight against sexual and relationship violence. The following are some things to keep in mind as you interact with peers or sexual/romantic partners.

• Always ask first. Listen for your partner’s response, and take both verbal and nonverbal signs of reluctance or refusal seriously. If the response is not clear, ask again. Mixed messages from your partner are a clear indication that you should stop and talk about it. You have a responsibility to respect your partner's timeline for sexual activities with which they are comfortable.
• Respect the wishes of the person you are interacting with. Even if the person you are with initially gives permission, consent can be withdrawn at any time.
• Remember that prior sexual activity does not equal future consent. Consent must be obtained during every encounter and for every sexual act.
• Realize that drugs and alcohol are no excuse to have sex. Alcohol and other drugs impair judgment and communication, making it difficult to obtain consent. Additionally, it is against the law to engage in sexual activity with someone who is incapacitated or incapable of saying “no.”
• Trust your instincts. If you are uncomfortable or sense that you are in danger, leave as soon as you are able. In an emergency, you should always call 911.
• Be a role model and engage respectfully with others in the Arkansas Tech University community. Set high standards for your friend group and the larger University community, and model the conduct you expect from others.
• Be an leader. If you see concerning behavior, don’t be afraid to intervene if it is safe to do so, and don’t be afraid to contact Public Safety to assist. Speak out against harmful stereotypes and behaviors in conversations with peers and offer help to community members who may need it.
• Some students have a more difficult time reading social cues than others. If you are one of these people, it might be important that you rely less on non-verbal cues and practice good verbal communication with your peer or sexual/romantic partner. If you think that you need to improve your communication skills, consider getting connected with Counseling Services and/or Disability Services.

• Be aware of your surroundings. Knowing where you are and who is around you may help you find a way to get out of a bad situation.
• Try to avoid isolated areas. It is more difficult to get help if no one is around.
• Walk with purpose. Even if you don’t know where you are going, act like you do.
• Trust your instincts. If a situation or location feels unsafe or uncomfortable, it probably isn’t the best place to be.
• Try not to load yourself down with packages or bags as this can make you appear more vulnerable.
• Make sure your cell phone is with you and charged.
• Don’t allow yourself to be isolated with someone you don’t trust or someone you don’t know.
• Avoid putting music headphones in both ears so that you can be more aware of your surroundings, especially if you are walking alone.

As stated in the Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures:

"Consent is:

• knowing, and
• voluntary, and
• clear permission
• by word or action
• to engage in sexual activity.

-Individuals may experience the same interaction in different ways. It is the responsibility of each party to determine that the other has consented before engaging in the activity.
-If consent is not clearly provided prior to engaging in the activity, consent may be ratified by word or action at some point during the interaction or thereafter, but clear communication from the outset is strongly encouraged.
-For consent to be valid, there must be a clear expression in words or actions that the other individual consented to that specific sexual conduct. Reasonable reciprocation can be implied. For example, if someone kisses you, you can kiss them back (if you want to) without the need to explicitly obtain their consent to being kissed back.
-Consent can also be withdrawn once given, as long as the withdrawal is reasonably and clearly communicated. If consent is withdrawn, that sexual activity should cease within a reasonable time.
-Consent to some sexual contact (such as kissing or fondling) cannot be presumed to be consent for other sexual activity (such as intercourse). A current or previous intimate relationship is not sufficient to constitute consent.
-The existence of consent is based on the totality of the circumstances evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances, including the context in which the alleged incident occurred."

Consent has NOT been obtained if the person:

• Is incapacitated 
• Is forced or pressured
• Is under the age of 14
• Changes his/her/their mind and wants to stop engaging in sexual activity
• Feels threatened or coerced
• Has said “no” or “I‘m not sure” or “I don’t know”
• Uses non-verbal cues such as a head nod, failure to resist, silence, or any hint of uncertainty

Reminders:

• Previous consensual sexual activity with you or another does not grant future consent.

• Good communication is the key to healthy relationships. Best practice is for both parties to receive verbal affirmative consent, "yes", each and every time and for each and every activity.

If you or someone you know may have experienced harassment (sexual misconduct), you are strongly encouraged to seek immediate assistance. Assistance can be obtained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the Arkansas Tech Department of Public Safety by dialing 911 or calling (479) 968-0222. If you are off-campus, assistance can be obtained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by dialing 911 where you will be connected to assistance in your area.

Medical assistance can be requested by dialing 911 or going directly to the hospital. St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center is located at 1808 West Main Street, Russellville, AR 72801. Nurses on staff in the emergency room are trained and equipped with the supplies necessary to collect and preserve evidence (sometimes called a "rape kit."). This exam is paid for by the state of Arkansas if obtained within 96 hours of the assault. Treatment of injuries, preventative treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and other health services are provided. If you decide to do this, try not to shower, change clothes, eat or go to the bathroom before seeking medical attention so as to preserve any evidence.

During business hours (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday), you are also strongly encouraged to contact Amy Pennington, Arkansas Tech University’s Title IX Coordinator by telephone at (479)968-0407, by email at apennington@atu.edu, or in person in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center, Suite 233.

The University encourages people who may have experienced harassment (sexual misconduct) to talk to somebody about what happened so that they can get the support they need, and so that the University can respond appropriately. Different employees on campus have different abilities to maintain confidentiality. Some employees are required to maintain near complete confidentiality; talking to them is sometimes called a “privileged communication.” At Arkansas Tech, the following employees are the licensed counselors staffed in the Health and Wellness Center located in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center, Suite 119:

Kristy Davis
kdavis51@atu.edu
(479) 968-0329

Janis Taylor
jtaylor78@atu.edu
(479) 968-0329

Leann Watson
lwatson12@atu.edu
(479) 968-0329

Hunter Bramlitt
jbramlitt@atu.edu
(479) 968-0329

Dillon Webster
dwebster@atu.edu
(479) 968-0329

For additional and more detailed information related to options for ongoing assistance and reporting, please see the Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures.

• Center for Changing Our Campus Culture 
  
• American College Health Association: Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence Toolkit
  
• Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault
• Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center
  
• Ozark Rape Crisis Center
• Victims' Rights Arkansas