“Just One Intervention Creates A Chain Reaction:” Cal Poly Begins Campaign For Sexual Assault Action Month
Cole Pressler wrote this article for Cal Poly SLO’s Mustang News. It is available for republication or reference. If you think their work is important, you can support it here.
Cal Poly Safer and ASI are holding events for their It’s On Us campaign — the first part of a month-long promotion of Sexual Assault Action Month.
It’s On Us, a campaign held on college campuses across the nation, aims to teach students about sexual assault and how they can prevent it.
It’s On Us will run Monday through Friday. During this week, Safer and ASI will host several booths around campus as well as a therapy dog event and distributing food and prizes to students.
“At these booths, people can come learn more about our mission and their role in ending sexual assault,” Safer Events and Outreach Intern Elizabeth Dodge said.
Safer will be holding events during the rest of April to honor Sexual Assault Action Month. Their late-April capstone event, Take Back the Night, is “meant to empower and celebrate survivors” and will include a keynote speaker, catered food and a solidarity walk.
Dodge said Safer hopes to teach students that ending sexual violence requires all students to take individual actions.
“Violence isn’t an isolated occurrence, and we all have the responsibility to end it,” Dodge said. “This could be as simple as curbing microaggressions or recognizing power dynamics in relationships.”
Dodge emphasized that sexual assault affects everyone, not just survivors.
“Sexual Assault Action Month is important to uplift the survivors in our community and show them that we support them,” Dodge said. “Everyone should participate because you never know who may be a survivor in your life. It’s important to show every day through your words and actions that you care about others because even just one intervention creates a chain reaction for ending violence worldwide. Failing to curb harmful messages we hear in our society about violence can perpetuate further harm.”