The Penn Women’s Center is stepping up efforts to “Break the Silence, Stop the Violence,” by educating incoming students about sexual assault.
This summer, the Class of 2014 will have to complete a sexual-education module in addition to the Penn Alcohol Module that has to be completed before the end of the students’ first semester.
This year’s freshmen were the first to complete the sexual-education module, which consisted of an additional video added to the Alcohol Module videos. Like the alcohol-awareness videos, the sexual-awareness video shows college students discussing various sexual issues, as well as how to deal with them.
This additional video is “less playful and more serious” than those of the Alcohol Module, according to Violence Prevention Educator Jessica Mertz, “in order to debunk some of the more serious myths surrounding sexual education.”
Looking to connect with students more, the Women’s Center has also recently created a new Support and Empowerment Group for Survivors of Sexual Abuse, which will begin meeting on Feb. 11. They are also reaching out to peer advisors and College House Resident and Graduate Advisors, as well as holding sexual-education training sessions for students.
Posters around campus include slogans such as “It’s not love, it’s dating violence” as part of an attempt to spread sexual awareness. The posters feature both heterosexual and homosexual couples.
“Men can be victims, too,” Mertz said. “There will always be a stigma for men to come to the Women’s Center, but we want them to know that we’re open to all students regardless of gender.”
In light of the recent sexual assaults that took place on campus last semester, Mertz feels that sexual education is even more important for incoming freshmen and transfer students.
Nursing sophomore Alexandra Tejan, who did not have to take the sexual-education module when she was an incoming freshman, said it would have been useful to have had that information before she arrived on campus.
“Everyone likes to think they would avoid situations where they may be in danger,” she said. “But in light of the recent instances of sexual assault on campus, I think these are probably things we need to be reminded of.”
Other students, however, do not feel that this is necessary information.
“The University shouldn’t have to teach sexual education,” College sophomore John O’Malley said. “This is something that should have been done in high school and within the family unit. Information at this point in our lives isn’t going to have much of an impact.”
Mertz disagrees, “I’d like to think that one of the main reasons those cases were reported last semester is because they knew we were here,” she said.
