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Entity reports on the college campuses that have launched campaigns to stop sexual assault.

While most incoming college students look forward to a year of personal growth, new friendships and elevated learning opportunities, many women will also face sexual violence. In fact, statistics show that one in five women will be sexually assaulted while enrolled at university.

The first six weeks of freshman year, called the “red zone,” are reportedly the most dangerous to women on campus. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the threat of sexual assault passes after this period. Assault can happen at any time and often  goes unreported.

Even when a victim chooses to report the incident, not all cases yield consequences for the perpetrator. Several universities and campus organizations have come under fire for improperly handling sexual assault claims or turning a blind eye to serial offenders. Baylor College recently dismissed its president and the head football coach after a report found that team leadership repeatedly failed to investigate sexual assault claims and actively worked to discredit accusers.

READ MORE: Gretchen Carlson Encourages Women to ‘Speak Up’ and ‘Document’ Sexual Harassment

Now, students and administrators are looking for effective ways to prevent sexual assault and eliminate rape culture on campus. Check out these five education initiatives and sexual assault prevention programs from universities around the county.

1 Columbia University: Sexual Respect

In 2015, Columbia launched a mandatory education program that all incoming students must complete before registration. Recognizing varying interest levels and experiences with assault, the Sexual Respect education program offers five different options for students from workshops to film screenings to creative art projects. For example, one course called “Finding Keys to Resiliency” helps survivors and allies find resources for support and provide the opportunity to engage in post-trauma discussions.

2 Rice University: Critical Thinking on Sexuality

Last year, the Rice University Student Association implemented a mandatory course for first year students called “Critical Thinking on Sexuality.” The goal of the course is to prevent sexual assault on campus, bridge gaps in sexual education and encourage thoughtful discussion of issues related to sexuality on campus.

The course format consists of small sections of 25 students guided by a graduate teaching assistant from Rice’s Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality department. Supporters of the program have also created a website and video series in which students share unscripted thoughts and personal experiences about sexual assault prevention.

READ MORE: Jessica Ladd on Saying ‘Yes’ to a New Sexual Assault Reporting System

3 New York University: #BetterSexTalk

Four students at NYU founded a sex education initiative to raise awareness about sexual assault. The premise of #BetterSexTalk is simple, asking, “If you could give one piece of advice about sex to a younger sibling, what would it be?” The campaign features insights and photographs of students from universities that include  NYU, Harvard and Stanford. The group aims to foster thoughtful conversations about sexual consent to help compensate for inadequate sex education programs.

4 University of Kentucky: Green Dot

University of Kentucky developed the Green Dot program in 2008 to raise bystander awareness of sexual violence against women on campus. Green Dots represent every time a moment of violence is stopped on campus and aims to create a cultural shift that empowers friends and community members to step in and stop situations that could lead to assault.

The Green Dot program includes training and awareness campaigns, along with websites that allow students to share their interventions as Green Dots on the campus map.  Hundreds of campuses have since adopted Green Dot or a similar bystander intervention strategies, which have proved very effective. In fact, a five-year study of the program in Kentucky high schools found it reduced the self-reported frequency of sexual violence perpetration by 50 percent.

READ MORE: MTV’s ‘Sweet/Vicious’ Shows the Violent, Raw Side of Rape Culture

5 West Point Military Academy: Cadets Against Sexual Harassment and Assault

West Point recently strengthened its commitment to tackling sexual violence on campus after a series of scandals surfaced in the early 2000s. To change its campus culture, cadets at West Point founded a grassroots movement based on that idea that the entire community is responsible for preventing assault. They formed the Cadets Against Sexual Harassment and Assault Committee, which organizes 16 lessons or events each semester, including an “It’s On Us” football game in partnership with the White House initiative.

Edited by Ellena Kilgallon
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