The “It’s On Us” campaign is a national initiative that seeks to engage college students and members of campus communities to make personal commitments to take a stand and be a part of the solution to campus sexual assault.
Marshall University and CONTACT Rape Crisis Center will also be hosting a resource fair at the Memorial Student Center on MU’s Huntington campus between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. The majority of assaults are never reported to campus administrators or law enforcement. Marshall University is asking all members of campus communities not to be bystanders to violence and intervene in any way they can.
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Council Against Sexual Assault will host the social media pledge event using the “It’s On Us” campaign. Participants can join the Facebook event page, 2016 SAAM WV Day-of-Action. The goal is to reach as many people as possible on college campuses, have them complete the “It’s On Us to stop sexual assault” pledge at www.itsonus.org, and take a photo and upload it to social media using the hashtags #ItsOnUs and #ItsOnUsWV.
The “It’s On Us” pledge is:
- to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault;
- to identify situations in which sexual assault may occur;
- to intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given;
- to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.
Stemming from the efforts of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, “It’s on Us” aims to fundamentally shift the way people think about sexual assault. The campaign seeks to inspire everyone to see it as his or her responsibility to do something, big or small, to prevent sexual violence.
Nikki Godfrey from the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services, the state’s sexual assault coalition, has worked with the Intercollegiate Council Against Sexual Assault for the past several years.
“Through this collaboration, residential campuses in West Virginia have worked together to increase training for first responders, implement prevention programs on campuses and provide a more victim-centered approach,” Godfrey said. “Attaining a college education should never include becoming a victim of sexual assault. This day of action allows students, faculty, administrators and advocates to raise awareness and show their support in promoting safer campus environments. Prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and together, we can make a difference.”