SafeHouse Center of Ann Arbor is recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month during the month of April. April is set aside across the nation for every community to collectively focus upon the societal problem of sexual violence and the ways in which services like those at SAPAC and SafeHouse are working to end this violence and seek justice for its victims. One event, held at the SafeHouse Center, is a Survivor Speak Out, where survivors of sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking can find a safe space to share their stories.
On Wednesday, March 7, 2012 David Lisak, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker at the annual Tamara Williams Memorial Lecture. This lecture serves to memorialize Tamara Williams, a University of Michigan student and Family Housing resident who was killed by her boyfriend in 1997. In addition to remembering Tamara's legacy, this lecture raises awareness of the realities of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Before Dr. Lisak spoke, Robin Wilson, associate professor of Dance at the University of Michigan, shared a dance titled "Shattered Globes" that she choreographed in honor of Tamara.
A front page article in the University Record (link to the article below) recognized SAPAC's recent inclusion in a U.S. Department of Education publication which featured SAPAC's efforts to end violence on the University of Michigan campus.
The Record article highlights SAPAC events and collaborative efforts that occur throughout the year.
University of Michigan Programs & Initiatives to Address Sexual Assault, Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking, and Sexual Harassment Prevention
2011-2012
The following is a list of programs and initiatives that the University of Michigan is spearheading to prevent sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and sexual harassment on the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels.
We know that a decision that is biased, arbitrary, or capricious will not meet the test of fundamental fairness. We know that procedures and decisions must be reasonable. What is too often left unsaid is that there will be instances in which the admission and consideration of irrelevant evidence, hearsay evidence, illegally obtained evidence, or evidence lacking in credibility will violate fundamental fairness. There are two basic rules of evidence that should be observed in the campus hearing: the rule of relevance and the rule of credibility of witnesses/testimony (Sokolow, 2004).
Coercion is a tactic used by perpetrators to intimidate, trick or force someone to have sex with him/her without physical force.This article explains coercion and gives examples of scenarios which involve coercion.
The following consent and coercion definitions and descriptions were taken from:
Sokolow, B. and Schuster, S. (2004). The 2004 NCHERM Campus Sexual Misconduct Judicial Training Video Seminar. The National Center for Higher Education Risk Management.
In terms of the law, a majority of states now have adopted consent-based definitions of sexual assault. This article explains more on consent.
The purpose of this section is to provide information about perpetrators. This section will address societal myths, contributing factors to why a person commits rape, the role of alcohol, and studies focusing on college male rapists. It is designed to inform panelists about the reality of this offense so that they are as informed as possible when hearing sexual-violence related cases.
The purpose of this section is to provide an overview of the scope of the problem of sexual assault and dating and domestic violence on college campuses. It is designed to dispel myths and provide information about the prevalence of these issues so that panelists will be as informed as possible about the reality of these offenses. This section also provides information about the University of Michigan’s Sexual Assault Policy, which can serve as a tool when hearing sexual violence-related cases.
