Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Megan Elizabeth Selheim <>]

And as requested, here are the responses I received regarding my earlier questions about our Facebook Crushes page. We’re currently taking an approach very similar to the one outlined by Clara – I’ve contacted the admins through the page using our program facebook and let them know about our concerns for safety and that we would like them to moderate the page more closely. Our admin is remaining mostly hands off, although our institutional marketing department has made a request to facebook to remove the page based on their use of the University Seal. Our doesn’t seem to have escalated significantly in the last couple weeks, but it hasn’t gotten better either, which I think is mostly due to the lack of critical student voices on the page. I’m hoping that it will die down over the summer, and give us time to build a better peer education program that may be able to address it more directly when school starts up again in August (if that’s even necessary).

 

Thanks everyone for your help and insight!

 

--

Megan Selheim

STOP Violence Program Coordinator

Dean of Students Office

Dept. 3135, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie WY 82071-2000

118 Knight Hall

307-766-3296

www.uwyo.edu/stop

 

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Yes, USM has had a recent experience with a Facebook Crushes page.  After much conversation we decided on a two pronged approach.  While marketing contacted the administrator to ask that they not use the university logo, I also contacted them to express concern about concerning posts (stalking) and to recommend that they post a message on the site that cautions people to maintain a safe environment and better screen the posts they receive before allowing them onto the site.  I also contacted the students in our Peer Support Network and others involved in the Campus Safety Project to ask them to visit the site and comment on any posts they feel are problematic. 

 

While we had no response from the administrator at first, they did eventually post a message around safety on the site, students have started to exert positive peer pressure around the tone of posts, and the tenor of posts has changed likely do to better vetting by the administrator.

 

These sights are generally fleeting in their popularity but they do present great opportunities for climate work.

 

Good luck!

 

- Clara Porter

 

 

Clara Porter, Coordinator

Interpersonal Violence Prevention

University of Southern Maine

112 Upton Hall, Gorham

780-4218 office

232-0484 cell

 

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I am a law enforcement officer at Concord University in West Virginia. We have a Concord Crushes twitter feed. I was curious how long it would be before someone abused it. So far we have not had an issue. But like you, our experience is only about two weeks now. I have asked about this as well. I have worked with Facebook a lot. As a company, they are not law enforcement friendly so I am not surprised u hit a wall there. However, should it become an issue you can request the information regarding the admins for an investigation. Please keep me posted on how it turns out. If we have an issue come up I will certainly let you know how it was handled and what worked and what didnt.

 

D. R. Smith

Concord Police Department

PO Box 400

Athens, WV 24712

Phone:(304)384-5965

Cell:(304)320-4916

Fax: (304)384-4185

 

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Hi Megan,

 

We have an array of non-university affiliated facebook pages: WSU Secrets, WSU Compliments, WSU Advice, and probably more I don’t yet know about.  The administrators are anonymous, of course.  WSU Secrets accepts facebook messages or tumblr posts and repost these on their facebook page.  For the first week or so, the administrators were posting all secrets, many from victims AND perpetrators of violence.  About a week after going live, the page administrators posted:

 

“we won’t be posting secrets that bash WSU, discuss sexual assault (rape) here, bestiality, submissions that aren’t really a “secret”, or repetitive secrets.”  I am unsure what prompted the administrators to make this decision.  It hasn’t completely stopped all trolling and inappropriate behavior, but it was a step in the right direction.  At this point, the posts and comments seemed to have moved away from harassing and aggressive and are primarily raunchy and questionable (I doubt the number of students engaging in nightly group sex is as high as WSU Secrets makes it appear, though I might be wrong). 

 

So, that’s what we’ve been dealing with here.  Best of luck to you as you navigate this!

 

Nikki Finnestead, Coordinator

Violence Prevention Programs

Washington State University │ G40 Washington │ 509.335.3251

 

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We have a huge problem with this on our campus. We are also dealing with random twitter feeds like "JMU banana eaters" and "JMU Make outs", which I think are even worse than the crushes page. The twitter feeds are usually pictures of people who are under the influence and totally unaware that they are being photographed. I don't have much advice (I've been individually reporting things which is totally inefficient and ineffective) but I'd love to hear what anyone else has to say about it!

 

Liz

 

--

Elizabeth Gallon Howley, MS, CHES
Assistant Director

University Health Center's Student Wellness & Outreach

James Madison University

Montpelier Hall, Room 506

MSC 7901

540.568.6251

 

 

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Hi Megan,

We are seeing those pop up on our campus (SUNY Oneonta). When the first one showed up our Title IX coordinator sent an email encouraging them to close down, that one ended and several popped up. In consultation with SUNY legal counsel-the benefit of the state system lawyers is kind of nice in these circumstances-we were advised that it was not our role to police, but if a student brought forward a harassment case it would be our duty to investigate. 

In the meantime we’ve have tried to increase the education about “old fashion” ways to let someone know you like them and the risks that people assume when they operate one of these sites.

We’ve also had issues with some twitter accounts, one student did open a criminal case when some friends recognized a picture of her backside which had been taken and posted without her consent.

Rebecca Harrington

Health Educator

SUNY Oneonta

 

 

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Have you tried to reach out to Facebook?  I know they can be very helpful in either removing an abusive sight or making the Administrator of the page not be anonymous.

 

Good Luck

 

Robert L. Franklin, MS

Sexual and Domestic Violence

Community Outreach Coordinator

Division of Prevention & Health Promotion

Virginia Department of Health

109 Governor Street, 9th Floor

Richmond VA  23219

Phone: (804) 864-7739

Fax: (804) 864-7748

 

email: