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

[Holly Rider-Milkovich <>]

Hello, colleagues--

I am SO GLAD that this issue has come up on the listserv. Thank you, Laura, for sharing these very helpful resources. The connection between consent skills and negotiating social relationships during COVID-19 was immediately apparent to us here at EVERFI. I wanted to share the opening paragraph in a blog from Vanderbilt University's Cara Tuttle Bell on this very issue:

"Let’s talk about consent in the moment of COVID-19:

• Consent starts in knowing that our bodies belong to us and we have authority over our own bodies;
• Consent requires we think about what we are doing and how we are doing it and how our behavior impacts others;
• Consent emphasizes how we should be free to determine, consistently and repeatedly: if and how we touch one another; and if, when and where and how often or how long we choose to interact–whether we’re connecting for work, social, or sexual activity.
• Consent recognizes that methods of communication, affection, stimulation, and engagement that were once consensual are subject to continual, reflexive re-evaluation, revision, and revocation.

. . . [O]ur work in educating about consent and promoting healthy behaviors, self-regulation, and self-care practices remain not only relevant but, in fact, crucial at this time."

For me, this precisely captures how we can reinforce that consent skills, as we've long argued are actually communication and relationship skills, and not simply sexskills, are immediately relevant to this moment. My thanks to Cara for capturing it so beautifully here. As an FYI, her blog also shares 10 strategies for engaging in SA prevention/awareness in the digital environment, tipe we shared for SAAM, but of course which remain relevant now. 

One additional strategy I'll note: campuses that are deploying digital courses this fall (or digital assessments of any kind) may wish to add peer/self social norm questions related to COVID-19 to their assessments to reinforce positive, pro-social attitudes and perceptions of the healthy majority as it relates to wearing masks and maintaining social distance. While the data is still being collected, I would wager that this is an area (like consent and intervening in harm) where the majority agree with the positive behavior but believe others in their peer group do not. So, gathering self/peer perception data on these recommended safety precautions may help close that perception gap and increase positive behavior. 

Apologies for the outbreak of wonkiness here on a Friday, but this is something I've been thinking about a lot these past few months and I am eager to support this conversation and additional efforts on this issue from our community of practice. Feel free to email me if you want to chat more.

Kindly,

Holly

On Fri, Jul 10, 2020 at 1:59 PM Laura Palumbo <> wrote:

Hi Kathleen and sapc members,

 

Our team at NSVRC has received some similar requests from campuses. We are trying to gather resources if others have insight to share. I know SgA sent a reply recommending the book Sexual Citizens, which was an excellent recommendation. Below are a few other resources that might be helpful:

 

Starting a COVID-19 ‘Social Bubble’? How Safe Sex Communication Skills Can Help in NPR
Gets into the connection between consent and safety when social distancing/w masks

 

Sex, Social Distancing and the Fall Semester in Higher Ed (co-written by the author of Sexual Citizen, Jennifer Hirsh)

Looks at how what it means to be socially and sexually responsible on campus.

 

Digital Consent in the Age of COVID-19 from NSVRC

 

I Ask How Power Impacts Consent from NSVRC

 

Thanks,

 

Laura Palumbo

Communications Director

She/her/hers

  

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

2101 N. Front Street

Governor’s Plaza North, Bldg #2

Harrisburg, PA 17110

717.909.0710 x128

877.739.3895 Toll Free

http://www.nsvrc.org

 

Free online learning opportunities on your schedule

Sign up for our campus to get started today.

 

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of Converse, Kathleen G.
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2020 4:50 PM
To:
Subject: COVID and Consent

 

Hi everyone,

 

I'm working on our sexual violence prevention training right now, and realizing all the new complexities around navigating body boundaries with COVID. Do any of you have any good resources on discussing consent within the context of COVID-19?

 

More specifically exploring these questions:

• How do you express/ assess comfort around masks, physical distance etc, and how does that change decisions about various forms of intimacy or sex?
• How does intersectionality around race/gender/ability/positional power/ etc, etc all manifest in how comfortable we feel asserting our body boundaries, and being attune to others levels of comfort?

Kathleen Converse | Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Director of the Center for Gender Equity | 

Pacific University | 2043 College Way | Forest Grove, OR 97116

p: 503-352-2273  | 

 

---

From: <> on behalf of Lockwood, Laura R. <>
Sent: Sunday, July 5, 2020 3:56 PM
To:
Subject: When do you issue a timely warning/campus-wide alert?

 

Hello, everyone.

 

I hope you are safe, healthy, and, enjoying some down time over the holiday weekend.

 

I'm tasked with learning how often and with what criteria does your campus issue a campus-wide alert/timely warning in regards to a report of sexual misconduct/gender based violence, especially when the respondent is a campus member.There is criteria to follow in the guidance. However, FERPA and the wishes of the complainant may inform this decision.

 

 I appreciate in advance you responding as soon as you can: .

 

Thanks so much!

 

Laura

 

 

 

Laura Lockwood
Director
Women & Gender Resource Action Center (WGRAC)
Trinity College
300 Summit Street
Hartford, CT  06106
860-297-2408

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Holly Rider-Milkovich

Vice President, Impact & Education

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