Project SAFE talks dating and domestic violence during Empowerment Week

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Project S.A.F.E. with Active Minds seek to raise awareness for dating and domestic violence by hosting a tie-dye event at Occidental College in Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Kathy Ou/ The Occidental

Project SAFE, Occidental’s sexual and relationship violence education and advocacy office, hosted Empowerment Week Oct. 15–19. Throughout the week, programming such as lectures, chalk and tye-dying on the quad and a healing night for survivors intended to bring all forms of sexual violence to the attention of the student body.

“Conversations about Project SAFE in our office typically focus on sexual assault, and we don’t talk as much about dating and domestic violence,” Caroline Parker (sophomore), a program assistant (PA) for Project SAFE, said. “But, it does affect a lot of students at Oxy and Empowerment Week’s mission is also to heal from instances of dating violence for people who have experienced that.”

Program Assistant of Project S.A.F.E., Caroline Parker (sophomore), talks about the mission of Project S.A.F.E. and the value in hosting events during an interview at Occidental College in Los Angeles on Wednesday Oct. 17, 2018. Kathy Ou/The Occidental

Junko Anderson (sophomore), another PA for Project SAFE, also said domestic violence gets little attention.

“For example — when I think of domestic violence, I think of a much older couple, and I think it’s important to try to make it relevant to college students so that they know this is a real issue that can affect all kinds of people,” Anderson said. “It’s reminding survivors that you have a community behind you that wants to support you.”

For Empowerment Week, Project SAFE collaborated with Active Minds and Planned Parenthood, promoting events that incorporated different perspectives on mental health and protection advocacy, according to Anderson. According to Parker, the combination of lighter events, such as tye-dying, with deeper discussions about the nature of sexual and domestic violence was important to avoid overwhelming survivors during what can be a difficult week.

Occidental students and community members formed Project SAFE in 2002 to combat sexual assault and relationship violence on campus, according to the organization’s website. Paid PAs — who are Occidental students — know the problems and culture of the student body and organize programs and events to reflect those interests, according to Parker.

At most schools, the Title IX office or investigating group is in the same office as their Project SAFE equivalent, Parker said. Occidental is unique because it has an office specifically dedicated to Project SAFE programming, prevention and education.

Ryan Romero (senior), left, shows Alice Feng (first year), right, the process of tie-dying in the quad at Occidental College in Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Oct. 16. 2018. Ryan Romero is a program assistant for Project S.A.F.E. and Alice Feng is an illustrator for The Occidental. Kathy Ou/The Occidental

“The founding of Project SAFE has really helped Oxy grow and I think one thing is that Project SAFE is separate from the Title IX investigation process,” Parker said. “It’s great to have a space for survivors to process, heal and have a support system if they don’t want to report or go through a formal process. I think that that definitely has been a large stride for us.”

Female college students are three times more likely than other women to experience sexual violence, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). Occidental College has been at the center of several sexual assault controversies — in 2017, the college was found to have violated the Clery Act for having underreported sexual violence and crime statistics. Last year, The Occidental uncovered footage of a confrontation between Board of Trustees members, sexual assault vigil attendees and members of the film crew for “The Hunting Ground,” a 2015 documentary on campus rape culture that prominently featured Occidental College.

According to Anderson, Occidental has started to put together a good team to address sexual assault on campus.

“The staff changes that have happened in the last couple years have been really beneficial because we’ve gotten people who are a lot more committed and knowledgeable,” Anderson said. “There are still a lot of issues we have on campus, but the team we have confronting them is a lot more dedicated team.”

However, Occidental still has room to grow, according to Parker.

“In terms of still making progress, I think the overall campus culture needs work,” Parker said.

The PAs for both organizations also advise students to reach out to the resources on campus, such as Marianne Frapwell, the survivor advocate on campus, if they need additional support. Frapwell was also involved in Empowerment Week programming.

“Empowerment Week is about building awareness, understanding and support for survivors of interpersonal violence and the unique challenges and dynamics they face,” Frapwell said.

According to Frapwell, an emphasis on creating a supportive and respectful community is crucial to making progress on the issue.

“I think it’s important that we collectively create a community in which respect, autonomy, consent and self-worth are fostered,” Frapwell said. “We [should] constantly be modeling for and with each other what healthy relationships of all types look like.”

Anderson also said it is important to be visible in one’s support of sexual violence survivors.

“I think it’s really important for people to know that when they’re helping their friends in situations of domestic abuse, it’s important to be there as a support system — and to listen,” Anderson said.

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