1st Module. Introduction: Sexual Assault Prevention Ongoing: Healthy Relationships

Learning object

• Building a safe community

  • The following training covers relationship violence, sexual assault, stalking or sexual harassment

Letter to students

“Dear Bruin,

On behalf of UCLA, please join us in promoting safety, preventing sexual harassment, and eliminating sexual violence in our campus community.

This course will help you to consider these critical issues and empower you to take action wherever needed to preserve a safe campus environment for all. The material in this presentation deals with sexual violence and harassment. We want to acknowledge a few things:

This topic can be difficult for individuals. Please take care of yourself throughout the presentation.

This standardized online module does not represent students who may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, transgender, intersex, nonbinary and/or gender nonconforming. While our ability to customize the content of this module is limited, we want to affirm that students of all gender identities and sexual orientations belong here at UCLA.

We want to point out that this module poses many scenarios in which students can respond, intervene, or support in situations as bystanders; although we encourage our community members to intervene Directly, by Distracting, and/or Delegating, please know that one is never required to intervene–we should only intervene when one feels safe.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment, there are various resources and options. For information about resources, and reporting options, visit: https://www.sexualviolence.ucla.edu.

If you have been accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment, you can find information about resources at: https://www.sexualviolence.ucla.edu/If-Youve-Been-Accused.

Failure to complete the module will result in a hold being placed on your record, which will prevent you from accessing certain campus services and enrollment in courses. This is the required health education course that all incoming students must complete.

A Message from the UC Systemwide Title IX Director

The University of California embraces transgender and nonbinary members of our community. We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment in which all students, staff, and faculty can express their identities fully.

This commitment is reflected in the University’s Nondiscrimination and Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policies, which protect all members of our community from discrimination and harassment. In addition, recent changes in state law, including the Gender Recognition Act, have extended important legal rights to Californians related to gender identity.

This course is a critical part of sharing information and practices that support a community of inclusion, including how to respond to and report harm if it occurs. We encourage you to learn more about the resources available on your campus and affirm the right of every member of our community to learn, work, and live as their whole selves.

Thank you for your partnership and commitment.

Please click on the link below for important information about Gender Recognition in Our Learning Community and Creating a Community of Inclusion:

https://ucla.box.com/s/widb0qaftqmmg0kzct78w9v1yqw2wrq7

Yours very truly,

Suzanne Taylor

Systemwide Title IX Director

Dear Bruin,

As a member of the UCLA community, please join us in our commitment to creating and maintaining an environment where all people who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in an environment free of sexual harassment, sexual violence and sex and gender discrimination. In furtherance of this commitment to upholding a safe and healthy environment, we want to ensure awareness and understanding of what constitutes prohibited behavior, how to respond to and report harm if it occurs and the many University resources at your disposal. In an effort to ensure this awareness and understanding we ask members of our community to complete the ­­­­Sexual Assault Prevention Ongoing: Healthy Relationships module.

*** Please be aware that some of the course content contains depictions of sexual violence which can be triggering. Please practice self-care and be aware that you may contact a CARE Advocate if you need assistance in completing the training.

We also want to acknowledge the online training does not adequately represent students who may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender queer, asexual, intersex, non-binary and/or gender nonconforming. We want to take this opportunity to reiterate the University’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for all members of our community which is reflected in the University’s Nondiscrimination policy as well as the Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment policy, both of which protect all members of our community from discrimination and harassment.

Given the serious nature and impacts of harassment and discrimination, we hope this training is helpful and encourages conduct conducive to fostering respect and inclusivity. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment, or any other form of prohibited conduct, there are resources and options available to you. For information about resources and reporting options, please visit: https://sexualharassment.ucla.edu/

Sincerely,

Mohammed Cato

Title IX Director”

2nd Module: Values, Identities, and Relationships

SVSH Policy

“The SVSH Policy prohibits relationship violence, defined as:

· physical violence toward the Complainant (the person who was harmed) or a person who has a close relationship with the Complainant (such as a current or former spouse or intimate partner, a child or other relative), or

· intentional or reckless physical or non-physical conduct toward the Complainant or someone who has a close relationship with the Complainant (such as a current or former spouse or intimate partner, a child or other relative) that would make a reasonable person in the Complainant’s position fear physical violence toward themselves or toward the person with whom they have the close relationship,

· by a person who is or has been in a spousal, romantic, or intimate relationship with the Complainant, or who shares a child with the Complainant, and that is part of a pattern of abusive behavior by the person toward the Complainant.

Conduct by a party in defense of self or another is not Relationship Violence under the SVSH Policy.

The non-physical relationship violence can occur online or in a digital form, such as threatening emails or text messages. The risk and harm of relationship violence can also be heightened during quarantine periods, when restrictions require working and learning from home. The CARE office on your campus provides confidential and free services to survivors to provide a safe space to explore options and plan for safe next steps.”

Learning objects

• Values

• Healthy ways to end a relationship

• Recognizing relationship abuse (IPV)

  • Academic abuse

  • Emotional abuse and isolation

  • Stalking and intimidation

• Supporting others

• Title IX of the Education Amendments Act (no quiz)

  • States among other things (like the definition of quid pro quo), “Unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, creating a “hostile environment” that effectively denies a person equal access to an education program or activity.”

3rd Module: Consent, Coercion, and Bystander Intervention

Learning objects

• Communication (of consent) is key

  • Consent

  • Coercive conduct

  • Bystander intervention

• Alcohol and coercion

  • Bystander intervention techniques

SVSH Policy

“Under the SVSH Policy, consent is:

· Affirmative, conscious, voluntary, and revocable.

· Consent to sexual activity requires of each person an affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.

· It is the responsibility of each person to ensure they have the affirmative consent of the other to engage in the sexual activity.

· Lack of protest, lack of resistance, or silence do not, alone, constitute consent.

· Affirmative consent must be ongoing and can be revoked at any time during sexual activity.

We regularly engage in communication that creates agreement and approval in other interactions every day with friends, coworkers, and family members. We should apply similar practices with our intimate or sexual partners to achieve healthy communication that builds respect and trust.

Notes to campus from STIXO:

· The consent language above is from the systemwide SVSH Policy. If you have a different title or campus materials that you would prefer to use as content here, you can do so, but include a link to the Policy definition or campus website that links to Policy.

· The last paragraph is from the Gender Inclusive PDF. Add link to page 4 of Gender Inclusive Content PDF. Title of link: Learn more about healthy and affirmative communication.”

4th Module: Sexual Harassment and Stalking

Learning objects

• What is sexual harassment?

  • Quid pro quo sexual harassment

  • Hostile environment sexual harassment (no quiz)

    • Threatening or intimidating comments targeted at particular students are not protected by the First Amendment. These comments would be uncomfortable for most students and, if they escalate, may create hostile environment sexual harassment that effectively denies the targeted students’ equal access to educational programs or activities.

    • Members of a school’s hiking club make vulgar jokes about women’s bodies. When a few new members object, they are told that they shouldn’t be so sensitive.

      • “Even if the intent isn’t to offend anyone, jokes based on gender make others feel uncomfortable. If the conduct continues for some time and becomes more severe, it could be considered hostile environment sexual harassment.”

• Stalking

• Bystander intervention

5th Module: Reporting and Responding

Learning objects

• Statistics

  • 1 in 5 report sexual assault to someone they know

• Impact of trauma

• Understanding and supporting survivors (read and click through)

  • Shame and guilt

  • Fear of retaliation

    • “Some survivors become afraid that the person who harmed them (or someone close to that person), will try to get “payback.” Offer information about how to contact the Title IX Coordinator or confidential resources who can help survivors understand their options for reporting and/or seeking support so they can make informed decisions. If appropriate, remind the survivor that there are protections against retaliation.”

  • Depression and anxiety

• Supporting a friend

  • Quiz on supporting a friend dealing with relationship coercion involving alcohol

• Reporting (read and click through)

  • Preserve evidence

  • Notify Title IX personnel

  • Notify law enforcement

• Optional reading (click and read through—if you don’t expand the window then you can’t click the next button), Link

  • Types of employees

  • Reporting to our school

  • The grievance process

  • How to file a complaint with the office of civil rights

SVSH Policy

” As you’ve learned, the University of California is committed to preventing and combatting sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Under the SVSH Policy, sexual harassment is when:

· a person’s submission to unwelcome sexual conduct is implicitly or explicitly made the basis for employment decisions, academic evaluation, grades or advancement, or other decisions affecting participation in a University program or activity (Quid Pro Quo), or

· unwelcome sexual or other sex-based conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it unreasonably denies, adversely limits, or interferes with a person’s participation in or benefit from the education, employment or other programs or activities of the University, and creates an environment that a reasonable person would find to be intimidating or offensive (Hostile Environment).

Sexual conduct includes behavior such as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment also includes acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on gender identity, gender-stereotyping, or sexual orientation. This could include, for example, misgendering someone by referring to them by incorrect pronouns, transphobic or homophobic comments or slurs, or harassing a trans person for using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity, where the conduct is severe or pervasive.

Discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and sexual orientation is also prohibited by the University’s Non Discrimination Policy (insert hyperlink to https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/2710535/PACAOS-150)

The SVSH Policy prohibits sexual violence, defined as:

Sexual Assault - Penetration: Without the consent of the Complainant, penetration, no matter how slight, of:

· the Complainant’s mouth by a penis or other genitalia; or

· the Complainant’s vagina or anus by any body part or object.

Sexual Assault - Contact: Without the consent of the Complainant, intentionally:

· touching Complainant’s intimate body part (genitals, anus, groin, breast, of the buttocks);

· making the Complainant touch another or themselves on any intimate body part; or

· touching the Complainant with one’s intimate body part, whether the intimate body part is clothed or unclothed.

Sexual assault is aggravated when it includes any of the following:

· Overcoming the will of Complainant by force, violence, menace, duress, or deliberately causing the Complainant to be incapacitated (for example, through drugs or alcohol);

· Deliberately taking advantage of the Complainant’s incapacitation (including incapacitation that results from voluntary use of drugs or alcohol); or

· Recording, photographing, transmitting, or distributing intimate or sexual images of Complainant without Complainant’s prior knowledge and consent.

Stalking is also a form of sexual violence. The SVSH Policy prohibits stalking, defined as:

· Repeated conduct directed at a Complainant (for example, following, monitoring, observing, surveilling, threatening, communicating or interfering with property), of a sexual, romantic or other sex-based nature or motivation, that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety, or the safety of others, or to suffer substantial emotional distress.

· Stalking that is not sex-based is addressed by other University policies including but not limited to the Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline Section 102.10.

· Stalking that is sex-based includes conduct motivated by gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex-or

gender stereotyping, or sexual orientation.

The risk and harm of relationship violence can also be heightened during quarantine periods, when restrictions require working and learning from home. The CARE office on your campus provides confidential and free services to survivors to provide a safe space to explore options and plan for safe next steps.

On the next slide, you will learn about Title IX – a federal law that prohibits sexual harassment. The University’s SVSH Policy includes the types of sexual harassment and sexual violence covered by Title IX, but is also broader in scope than Title IX.”

“UC is committed to providing informed, compassionate, and respectful services to anyone in our community who experiences sexual or gender-based harm, through our CARE offices, our centers for LGBTQIA+ support and community (known as “LGBT Centers” on many UC campuses) and our Title IX Offices.

We also recognize that many survivors, including trans and nonbinary survivors, will turn first to a friend or loved one when seeking help. While you’re not expected to serve as a counselor or therapist, there are some actions that you can take that will support their healing and help connect them to additional resources for ongoing support.

University employees have responsibilities to report sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University calls these staff members “Responsible Employees”. Under the SVSH Policy, a “Responsible Employee” is any University employee who is not a Confidential Resource (such as a confidential counselor or advocate). If a Responsible Employee learns, in the course of employment, that a student may have experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment that is prohibited by the SVSH Policy, they must promptly notify the Title IX Officer or designee. This includes resident assistants, graduate teaching assistants, and all other student employees, when disclosures are made to them in their capacities as employees.”

Final Assessment

• Link to assessment