20:1 Fraternity Sexual Assault Prevention Peer Education Program
Founded at Binghamton University in 2004-2005, 20:1 is a group of fraternity peer educators from diverse fraternity groups that voluntarily educate men on issues of sexual assault prevention. The main goals of this group are to: bring about awareness of possible sexual assault situations, define consent, explore bystander behavior, provide information on how to handle and support victims, and provide resource information. . The name of the group ‘20:1’ represents the approximately twenty women per hour that are sexually assaulted each day in the United States, was chosen by the fraternity peer educators
Binghamton University has developed a three tiered prevention program, addressing different areas of prevention through an Empathy-Based Program, an Awareness-Based Program, and a Bystander-Based Program, thus taking the program to a level that has not been done by other programs. The first tier, called the Empathy-Based Program, utilizes peer educators to elicit victim empathy, awareness around consent, victim blaming and rape myths. The second tier, the Awareness-Based Program, is designed to promote self awareness specifically around the issues of consent through the use of an interactive technique that allows participants to talk about their biases, personal acceptance or rejection of rape myths, and cultural constructs around sexuality and sexual assault. The third tier, the Bystander-Based Program, emerged from comments of participants who felt that they have become more aware of the problem and would like to help, but do not know what to do. This tier is designed to help fraternity men become more socially aware and willing to act to protect others.
Traditionally, fraternities have been difficult to break into in order to accomplish sexual assault education, yet they are one of the most high risk populations for sexual violence and for adherence to gender stereotypes (Boroeringer, 1999; Bleeker&Murnen, 2005). One third of off campus rapes take place in off campus housing such as a fraternity house (US DOJ, 2000). Fraternities commit 55% of all gang rapes committed on college campuses (O’Sullivan 1991). Newer research by Foubert (2205) and Katz (2006) have shown that gender specific programming, addressing men, in particular using a peer education model, is the most effective.
Utilizing the men’s research of John Foubert, William and Mary and David Lisak, University of Massachusetts as well as the consent and men’s research of Bret Sokolow and Alan Berkawitz, Binghamton University develop the first two tiers of the fraternity peer sexual assault prevention program. As the third tier on bystander behavior was developed Binghamton University utilized the most recent research from David Lisak, Bret Sokolow and the work of Victoria Banyard, University of New Hampshire.
This program is a collaboration effort by professional staff from the University Counseling Center, Fraternity/Sorority Affairs and the Educational Opportunity Program. In the initial year the programs main goal was to design, recruit and train members for the Peer Education program. In its first year, all 25 social and multi-cultural fraternities on the Binghamton campus received the sexual prevention education. In addition the 20:1 peer educators continue to provide New Member Education to all new fraternity members in both the fall and spring semesters.
The 20:1 peer educators have also become first responders, in that they have become the first to whom student victims and friends of victims began to turn to for assistance when needing help with intimate violence incidents and its aftermath. This is an unexpected outcome of the Binghamton University program. However, through the training the peer educators received, they felt confident in responding and making the appropriate referrals.
This program has been recognized as a model program by the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women in conjunction with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault who have invited 20:1 members to present nationally three time since 2006 and to provide a Webinar for 60 Universities in Fall 2007. It has been noted by CALCASA that Binghamton University is one of the only programs to be able to form a fraternity sexual assault prevention men’s program and sustain it. 20:1 was also one of the programs highlighted in the November 20th issue in The Chronicle of Higher Education on rape prevention programs. 20:1 professional staff and peer educators have been asked by numerous universities to consult to set up programs similar to this one.
Currently, the 20:1 program is run by Dara Raboy-Picciano, LCW-R, who co-founded the program and Randall Edouard, EOP. This year the peer educators receive internship credit for their participation in the program. The program has 10 interns and two volunteers.
In the academic year 2009-2010, 20:1 provided education to all athletic teams as well as continued to provide prevention education to fraternities and to all fraternity/sorority new members. The program can information can be viewed at the 20:12 website: http://www2.binghamton.edu/counseling/services/sexual-assault-peer-education/index.html
Or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=298556579842&ref=ts
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