Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Proactive advocacy on campus and beyond

Baylor University participated in National Sexual Assault Awareness Month throughout the month of April. The University is committed to supporting survivors and increasing sexual assault awareness. With lighting campus teal, providing resources and hosting interactive events, Baylor showed commitment to proactive advocacy. The events in April showed support, but also aimed to extend awareness and provide resources beyond just one month of the year.

The University again hosted the art installation “What Were You Wearing?” at several locations across campus. The installation is created by hanging outfits or recreations of outfits that sexual assault survivors were wearing when they were assaulted. The goal is to open up constructive conversation and break down the myth that clothing is the cause of sexual violence.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Events

Night of Reflection was an opportunity the evening of April 26 to join the community in reflection and prayer. Individuals from the Baylor and Waco community shared why the conversations surrounding sexual violence matter to them and those around them.

“The night was a call for contemplation on the importance of awareness and consideration for how people and our community are impacted by sexual violence,” said Elizabeth Wellinghoff, Title IX training and prevention specialist. “The night was focused on extending awareness beyond April and an opportunity to show our commitment to the cause in both prayer and in action.”

The event highlighted the importance of campus conversations and reflected on the responsibility of faculty, staff and students to be aware and respectful in creating a safe environment that works intentionally to prevent sexual assault.

Awareness Beyond April

The Department of Justice reported in its Campus Climate Survey Report, which encompassed nine different institutions of higher education, that only 4.3% of sexual battery incidents and 12.5% of rape incidents were reported to any official.

Respondents gave several common reasons for not seeking the help of an official, including not believing the incident to be serious enough, they would be faulted for the incident, they would get in trouble and the situation would not be kept confidential. However, of those who did report, 79-81 percent considered the officials to be helpful.

The Title IX Office is working to erase misconceptions surrounding conversations of sexual assault to create a campus climate where each individual understands their importance and the concern for which incidents are handled without faulting survivors. Through trainings for faculty, staff and students, events like those during Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the University’s It’s On Us Student Group, Title IX is fostering open conversations, increasing awareness and diminishing the misconceptions around reporting sexual and interpersonal violence.

“While Title IX has been commissioned to uphold policy, as members of the Baylor community each of us has a responsibility to increase awareness, reduce stigmas that may prevent one from reporting and build up Baylor’s campus as a safe place,” said Wellinghoff. “Knowing how to help anyone who has experienced or witnessed sexual assault or interpersonal violence is vital to advocacy and to prevention.”

On-campus confidential resources for support include the Baylor Counseling Center, Health Services Center and Burt Burleson, University chaplain. Additionally, employees can also find help through the Employee Assistance Program.

For anyone seeking legal recourse, contact the Baylor Police Department or the Waco Police Department. Other resources can be found through the Title IX website, baylor.edu/titleIX.