Content Warning: This editorial contains discussion of sexual and interpersonal violence.

I heard the same tragic story over and over again statistics: 26.4% of female college students and 6.8% of male college students nationwide report being raped or sexually assaulted. Interpersonal violence and rape culture are not easy problems to deal with, and there are no clear solutions. To address this, the university has implemented various trainings and policies for its students and faculty.

UT currently requires new and transfer students to complete the following courses: Undergraduate Sexual Assault Prevention Programis a series of interactive online modules designed to empower students to “prevent sexual assault and interpersonal violence.” For many students, this is the only discussion of interpersonal violence prevention during college. It shouldn’t be.

The SAPU program is deficient in several important respects.As the Texas Editorial Board has Discussed Previously, I was unable to attract students with the nuances of consent. consent It’s more than “yes” or “no”. As simple as it may seem, an informed understanding of consent is essential to preventing sexual violence.

Moreover, there is no such thing as a standard experience of interpersonal violence. Every situation is unique and everyone can be affected. Materials such as SAPU should reflect that. One way to address this issue is to create inclusive content that represents the intersecting and diverse nature of the UT community. Students must understand what interpersonal violence looks like outside of heteronormative relationships and learn how different communities are affected by similar issues.

Brittany O’Malley, Assistant Director of Prevention at Longhorn Wellness Center, explained that SAPU was developed. EverFi We also often incorporate feedback from UT into program content. These reforms can only be incorporated within the SAPU if UT advocated.

It is also important to remember that discussing interpersonal violence can be triggering for survivors of such trauma. Adjustments need to be made for students.

Students who are currently concerned about the difficulty of completing SAPU should sponsored Alternate resources that meet state and federal requirements. However, this option is not openly shared with UT students.other public universities offer Get alternative training materials for students and ask them to reach out to encourage the education of interpersonal violence while actively protecting vulnerable students. We urge UT to do the same.

Educating students about sexual and relationship violence is an important precautionary measure and should not begin and end in a SAPU program. EverFi recognizes that no single program can act as a complete solution, ask School administrators should “consider follow-up activities using different formats to reinforce the message.”

Such activities are available, but not everyone participates or participates. We do not want to underestimate the important work that students and universities are doing to reduce stigma about sexual assault on campus and make preventive education more accessible. Not On My Campus’ Peer Education Program educates participating student organizations by training peer educators.of Title IX Office When voices against violence We offer a variety of activities and workshops for interested students and staff. Unfortunately, while these programs are useful, they are only provided on demand.

“Even if[SAPU]is comprehensive, it’s the best module in the world with all the information, that people are actually paying attention and taking the information and using[it]. There is no way to be sure, says Vanessa Saylou, president and nursing senior at Not On My Campus: “I have never seen (or thought of) sexual assault. ) I need to explain it in a way that people can understand, because some people don’t think about it.”

There are various options that UTs can consider to make prevention education more inclusive, understandable and engaging. A signing course for the first year can incorporate a seminar-style class on consent and communication. Students may need to attend in-person training on how to establish and respect boundaries and how to intervene as a bystander. Finally, the UT Orientation included a program called ‘Protecting the Herd’ which included both presentation and discussion components. Although it was not included in the 2022 Summer Orientation Schedule, it may be beneficial for students to revive it or introduce a similar program.

We recommend incorporating a variety of approaches, as well as ensuring that preventive education and engagement continue while students are at UT. Ultimately, there is no single or comprehensive way to prevent interpersonal or relationship violence.

The editorial board is made up of Associate Editors Mia Abbe, Lucero Ponce, Alyssa Ramos, Michael Chang and Editor-in-Chief Megan Tran.