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ABSTRACT

Title of the Proposed Project:

Gender-Based Violence Prevention Peer Education Program

Amount Requested:

$20,000.00 for two years.

Brief abstract that clearly and concisely states the aim of the project, anticipated value for XU students and/or faculty and the indicators of success:

Research indicates that one in four women will experience gender-based violence in college. Due to the significant impact gender-based violence has on student survivors, it is recommended that institutions of higher education implement a comprehensive training program focused on bystander intervention in order to empower students, faculty, and staff to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (CCC, 2015). In order to achieve this goal, I propose to implement a Peer Education Program at Xavier University that will lead gender-based violence prevention efforts and be a part of a comprehensive, coordinated approach to support a healthy, safe, and inclusive campus environment. This Peer Education Program will be housed in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and be supervised by the Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator, a new staff position whose role is to provide confidential support and advocacy services to Xavier students who have experienced gender-based violence, as well as coordinating prevention efforts.

While current efforts exist to respond to gender-based violence and provide awareness programing, Xavier University is in need of a strategic, best practice, gender-based violence prevention program as identified by the work of the Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG). After two years of providing peer education around student wellness, the work of SWAG revealed the student desire to engage in gender-based violence prevention and recognized the need for specific expertise in the issue in order to do so. As SWAG moves to incorporate a broader approach to wellness, XU has the opportunity to utilize the expertise of the Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator to implement a peer education program focused specifically on gender-based violence prevention. Awareness efforts made by SWAG, the Title IX Office, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion have increased XU’s community literacy around gender-based violence. Data reveals that more students have been able to identify their experience as gender-based violence, have felt safe reporting it to XU, and know how to do so because of these efforts. Implementing a Peer Education Program focused specifically on gender-based violence will support XU’s efforts to lower barriers to reporting, increase reports, and decrease incidents of gender-based violence through peer-led discussion and bystander engagement. Because peers are less likely to be seen as authority figures, peer educators build stronger rapport with their audience and create a unique, safer space for dialogue around uncomfortable topics while increasing access to campus and community resources. Mirroring this model and the needs of Xu’s campus, the Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator has developed a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Peer Education Program that will allow trained and committed students to facilitate prevention workshops, support awareness efforts, and promote support services. This program will provide the foundation for gender-based violence prevention efforts on Xavier’s campus and complement other forms of prevention at Xavier University, including SWAG programming, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Under the supervision of the Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator, eight peer educators will be recruited, trained, and empowered to facilitate gender-based violence prevention workshops. Student selected to serve as Peer Educators will commit to the program for one year and receive 40 hours of training, as outlined by the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, in order to gain a strong understanding of the dynamics and impact of gender-based violence. Complementing this institutionally-led training, Peer Educators will participate in an eight hour “train the trainer” session facilitated by Mentors in Violence Prevention. Mentors in Violence Prevention Training will certify Peer Educators to facilitate violence prevention workshops to Xavier University students, faculty, and staff. These interactive, best practice prevention workshops engage peers in discussion around sexual violence, consent, binary gender roles, and safe ways to intervene when witnessing violent and/or oppressive behavior by a peer. Incorporating bystander engagement techniques with critical dialogue creates an intentional space that empowers participants to view themselves as leaders who have a responsibility to create a healthy and safe environment for all. Mirroring Xavier University’s Jesuit heritage, this program aims to develop student leaders that value social justice, inclusion, and solidarity. This Peer Education Program is designed with the intention to empower Xavier University students to create a campus culture that is committed to ensuring the dignity and worth of all members of the campus community and cultivating a culture of respect and responsibility.

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BUDGET What is the amount of funding requested?

A B C

Item Cost per Year Total Cost for 2 Years WOX Grant ODHE Grant

Staffing

1 Peer Educators Stipend 8 @ $1,000.00 16,000.00 16,000.00

Training

2 Mentors in Violence Prevention Training $7,490.00 $7, 490.00 $7,500.00

3 Workbooks $100 $200.00 $100

4 Training Binders $50.00 $100.00 $100.00

5 Meals (5 Lunches) $500.00 $1,000 $1,000

6 Summer Read $100.00 $200 $200

Promotion

7 T-Shirts $250.00 $500 $500.00

8 Outreach Materials $150.00 $300.00 $300.00

Continuing Education

9 Travel to OAESV Advocacy Day $200.00 $400.00 $400.00

10 In-Service Lunch (7 Lunches) $700.00 $1,200.00 1,200.00

Total Cost 17,540.00 27,390.00 $19,900.00 $7,500.00

4 NARRATIVE

1. How does this proposed project enhance the mission and purpose of Women of Excellence? A Peer Education Program focused on the prevention of gender-based violence will enhance the mission and purpose of Women of Excellence by working to empower student leaders to create cultural change that reflects a healthy, safe, and inclusive campus. Peer Educators will utilize their knowledge and skills to engage the campus community in dialogue around sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking; all acts of violence that impact women disproportionately, particularly women of marginalized identities. By serving as Peer Educators, women will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, build community, and work across difference towards social justice. This experience will be valuable as women transition from student to professionals, empowering them to provide leadership in their communities around issues they are passionate about.

2. How will this project further the mission of Xavier University to “engage and form students intellectually, morally and spiritually, with rigor and compassion, toward lives of solidarity, service and success?”

This Peer Education Program will further the mission of Xavier University by developing student leaders that value social justice, inclusion, and solidarity. This Peer Education Program will utilize a social justice framework that provides participants the opportunity to discuss power and privilege, or the absence of it, and how it shapes their interactions and identity. This framework mirrors Xavier University’s mission because it opens up space for students to discuss intersecting forms of oppression while incorporating bystander engagement techniques that empower participants to see themselves as leaders who have a responsibility to create a healthy and safe environment for all. By participating in this Peer Education Program, students become invested in efforts to end violence and other forms of injustice. These students are empowered to provide leadership in campus-wide initiatives contributing to their overall development as leaders and social change agents who work with rigor and compassion towards lives of solidarity, service, and success. This program aligns with the official student commitment that states, “unique individuals come together to change the world together by acting with integrity, justice, and generosity.”

3. Why is this project important? Does it address a gap within existing University programs?

National research indicates that one in four women will experience gender-based violence while in college (CSA, 2007). Experiencing gender-based violence can have many negative impacts on the survivor including but not limited to stress, anxiety, depression, shame, and isolation. These negative effects are often magnified by the lack of support survivors receive due to inadequate institutional response and social stigma often resulting in the survivor’s inability to remain in school. Research indicates that gender-based violence survivors experience reduced income in adulthood as a result of victimization in adolescence, with a lifetime income loss estimated at $241,600 (MacMillan, 2000). Research has revealed that gender-based violence also interferes with women’s ability to work; Fifty percent of sexual violence victims had to quit or were forced to leave their jobs in the year following their assaults due to the severity of their reactions (Ellis, Atkeson, & Calhoun, 1981). Due to the significant impact gender-based violence has on survivors’ ability to continue their education, it is the responsibility of institutions of higher education to provide best practice prevention programming on campus. The implementation of this Peer Education Program will provide the foundation of gender-based violence prevention on Xavier University’s campus and communicate to the community that this issue deserves attention.

In 2014, Women of Excellence provided funding to SWAG in order to promote student health and wellness using a best practice peer education model. Not only has the work of SWAG revealed the success of using a peer education model, but it has also identified opportunities for growth as this program moves to expand to a broader wellness approach. Data from SWAG identified the need for programming focused specifically on issues related to gender-based violence, recognizing the additional training that is needed to facilitate discussion around this topic. The hiring of the full-time Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator has provided the University an opportunity to develop strategic prevention programming, rooted in best practice standards. Additional funding through Women of Excellence would

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allow the University to implement a strategic, sustainable, Peer Education Program to empower students, faculty, and staff to respond and prevent gender-based violence in our community. This approach would increase access to support services, challenge injustice, educate the community, and create a space for women to develop leadership skills and build a safe, supportive community.

4. What is the expected outcome of your project? How many people (faculty, staff, students) will be engaged in your project?

The outcome of this Peer Education Program is to prevent gender-based violence on Xavier University’s campus by engaging students in dialogue and promoting support services available to students. Additional outcomes measures are outlined in a Logic Model that can be found on page 8. With the on-going support of staff, faculty, students, and community partners, implementation and sustainability of this Peer Education Program at Xavier University will result in significant cultural change. It is estimated that nearly 1,500 students will be impacted by the Peer Education Program during the 2016-2017 academic year. Though students, faculty, and staff may request a prevention workshop, the Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator will work with campus partners to ensure all first year students have the opportunity to participate in a workshop through GOA First Year Experience. This would allow the program to reach nearly 1,200 freshman students, the population most vulnerable to experience sexual violence on campus. In addition, the Peer Education Program will be highlighted in core University programs and events including but not limited to, Manresa Orientation, GOA First Year Experience, Resident Advisor Training, and Smooth Transitions Orientation. As an intimate campus with passionate staff and faculty who value social justice, inclusion, and solidarity, Xavier University has the opportunity to embed gender-based violence prevention programming into the fabric of the University. This Peer Education Program will be sustained, supported, and promoted through collaboration between the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Title IX Office, and the Associate Provost for Student Affairs. The Advocacy and Prevention Coordinator will continue to work with campus and community partners to collaborate on violence prevention efforts, promote support services, and create cultural change. These partners include the Office of Residence Life, Xavier University Police Department, Student Wellness Advocacy Group, McGrath Health and Wellness, Women Helping Women, and the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

5. How will you measure the success of your project, if funded? What are the qualitative and quantitative measures that you will use to assess impact and effectiveness?

Project success and impact will be measured through multiple assessment and evaluation tools including reflection prompts, feedback activities, final evaluations and pre/post-tests. Because the project will engage two key groups of students, peer educators and workshop participants, the evaluation plan is two tiered. Tier one focuses on assessment and evaluation of the learning and development of the students participating in the Peer Education Program and will be measured using reflection prompts and evaluations. Tier two focuses on assessment and evaluation of learning of Mentors in Violence Prevention Workshop participants. Impact will be measured using assessments developed out of the Mentors in Violence Prevention workshop curriculum.

6. If your project is funded, how will the WOX Giving Circle be recognized as having played a role in the success / completion of your project? Give specific examples.

I believe it is very important to share with campus and community partners the role of Women of Excellence Giving Circle as it relates to the success and completion of the Gender-Based Violence Prevention Peer Education Program. Each partner listed on this grant proposal will share the development, progress, and success of the Program with students, staff, and faculty, and include the Women of Excellence Giving Circle as an integral piece of that communication. If the grant is received, it will be important to share the announcement of the project and its funding source through social media, Xavier Weekly, Xavier Today, and Xavier Newswire. In addition, Women of Excellence Giving Circle will be recognized as a project funder in all outreach materials and workshop presentations.

6 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Use this section to add additional information or supporting arguments not covered in the sections above.

Please see attached supplemental materials:

1. Statement of Support 2. Gender-Based Violence Peer Education Program Logic Model 3. Gender-Based Violence Peer Education Program GANNT Chart 4. Information on Mentors in Violence Prevention Program

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Gender-Based Violence Prevention Peer Education Logic Model

XU students are aware of resources available to survivors of violence.

Inputs

Outputs Outcome

Peer Educators

Time of Advocacy and

Prevention Coordinator

Money

Materials

Campus and Community

Partners

Recruitment and Selection of

Peer Educators

XU Community and target

communities (student leaders)

Fall Training

Peer Educators

Workshops XU Community-

Specifically Freshman Class

Monthly In-services and Bi-

weekly meetings

Peer Educators understand the root causes of interpersonal violence and

are aware of rape myths and facts related to gender-based violence.

Staff, faculty, and students are aware of peer education program, and other resources available to students.

Peer Educators reflect on growth as advocates, activists and leaders and

develop interpersonal and team skills.

Peer Educators are aware of resources available to survivors on campus and

in the community.

Peer Educators understand bystander engagement techniques and are equip

to facilitate MVP workshops.

XU students recognize sexual violence on campus and have developed skills

to safely intervene.

XU students recognize sexism, racism, and homophobia and are empowered

to lead efforts that challenge these forms of oppression.

Create cultural change on campus in order to reduce

gender-based violence.

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Information on Mentors in Violence Prevention Program http://cultureofrespect.naspa.org/program/mentors-in-violence-prevention-mvp/

Program Title Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP)

Overview Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) is one of the original gender violence, sexual

harassment, and bullying prevention programs. It was first developed as a sports culture

initiative in 1993 by Dr. Jackson Katz and his colleagues at Northeastern University’s

Center for the Study of Sport in Society. The program was later expanded to include

students and professionals in college, high school, the military, and a variety of

organizations in the public and private sectors. MVP Strategies is the flagship organization

which provides training to organizations including the US Military, colleges, high schools

and professional sports leagues. Other branches and initiatives of MVP include MVP

National, Sport in Society, Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Northern

Iowa, and Griffith University in Brisbane.

evaluation

criteria

empathy bystander risk

reduction

dispelling

myths

alcohol online other

Mentors in

Violence

Prevention (MVP)

X X X

X

masculinity,

leadership,

relationships, intersectionality

Author Jackson Katz

Website http://www.mvpstrat.com/

Program details Trainings have been conducted in single gender groups as well as co-ed sessions.

MVP offers an array of training options for both students and administrators which can be customized to fit

the needs and structure of your campus community. Generally, MVP co-presenters lead the audience

through discussions of realistic scenarios covering a range of abusive behavior they might witness as

bystanders. Once individuals are trained to present the program to student groups, MVP recommends teams

of 2 volunteers per discussion group. Scenarios in the MVP Playbook describe a situation followed by a

section entitled "Train of Thought" which discusses factors a bystander might consider in the situation.

Next, the Playbook lists "Options" of several actions the participant could take. Usually, one of the trainers

will ask a participant to read the scenario out-loud, followed by another participant reading the train of

thought. Then, the group discusses the different options available, and what the participants would do as

bystanders.

MVP strongly emphasizes the importance of gender stereotypes and cultural conceptions of "masculinity"

and "femininity" in addressing the root causes of sexual violence. Several of the scenarios focus on

commonly held stereotypes of women, how the culture encourages and rewards those who tell sexist jokes,

and engage in behavior that is stereotypically "masculine."

Populations served General student body

Student leaders

Athletes

Greek Life

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High School students

US Military

Theoretical/scientific

basis for approach

MVP utilizes a "bystander" approach. It focuses on young men not as perpetrators or potential perpetrators,

but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers – and support abused ones. It focuses on

young women not as victims or potential targets of harassment, rape and abuse, but as empowered

bystanders who can support victims and confront perpetrators (Katz).

Program method Types of Trainings:

"Big room" presentations: These large scale talks follow a classic lecture format and are recommended to

be implemented in tandem with intensive, targeted workshops and programs.

Awareness-raising sessions: Two to four days of training on campus by MVP Strategy teams, providing 90

minute sessions covering the spectrum of gender violence, root causes of violence, gender norms and

connections to abusive behavior, and bystander intervention using group discussions and scenarios

Student Leadership Training: MVP offers one day intensive trainings to student leaders including athletic

team captains, Greek leaders, student government representatives, and RA's. These

workshops are "designed to enhance the leadership capabilities of student leaders by helping them develop

bystander intervention skills but also by challenging them to see themselves as leaders in the critical area of

gender equality promotion and gender violence prevention." (MVP)

Leadership Training for Professionals: MVP trainers conduct one to two day trainings, covering similar

topics as student leadership training, for administrators, staff, and officials on campus. "They also address

the mentor/teacher/coach relationship between professional educators and students as well as workplace

issues/peer issues among college-based professionals." (MVP)

Trainings of Trainers: MVP trainers conduct intensive two to three day trainings with students, staff and

faculty. Maximum capacity is 30 participants and trainees complete the program equipped to lead MVP

trainings with student groups.

Leadership Training and Orientation Programs for College/University Administrators: Leadership and

violence prevention training is designed for senior administrators from all reaches of campus. Programs

focus "on the role of institutional leaders in the prevention of gender violence and other forms of bullying,

abuse and harassment with a special emphasis on men’s leadership. Participants are introduced to cutting-

edge pedagogical as well as institutional strategies." (MVP)

Administering the program:

Implementation depends on the specific type of program selected (i.e. small scale workshop vs big room

presentation). The basic format of the Student Leadership programs requires the purchase a training guide

which explains how to run the program. Discussion guides, or "Playbooks", are purchased for the

participants. Group discussions are conducted using scenarios from the Playbooks.

Dosage:

The authors recommend a minimum of three sessions for the target group, with each session no more than

one month apart from the previous one. Sessions last approximately 90 minutes.

Methods:

The program focuses on interactive scenarios and group discussion. There are no videos or live

presentations. It is not part of a wider, campus-wide campaign on the issue of sexual assault, although it

certainly could be integrated with other approaches and strategies.

Program effectiveness An Evaluation Report of MVP’s Campus Leadership Initiative showed positive change in Train the Trainer

participants’ “bystander efficacy beliefs, bystander behavior intent, and personal teaching efficacy to train

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and support others in sexual assault prevention” (Department of Justice, 2011).

The research that is available is not in peer reviewed academic journals. One study of fraternity men and

sorority women reported lower levels of sexism and an increased belief that they could prevent male

violence against women after taking the MVP Student Leadership program (Cissner 2009). There is also a

2001 study that claims effectiveness, but it was never published in a peer-reviewed journal (Ward 2001).

Other assessments by the Department of Education suggest participants in the peer education program, thus

receiving more intensive training than general student leadership trainees, show more significant

improvements in behavior and attitude (Cissner, 2008). Both peer educators and workshop participants did

improve as proactive bystanders and provided positive feedback after participating.

MVP uses several methods that the literature suggests are highly effective: single-sex programs, and a focus

on bystander intervention.

Participating colleges

and universities

MVP has been used at numerous colleges and universities, including

Boston College

Duke University

Harvard University

San Jose State University

University of Alabama

University of Hawaii

University of Iowa

University of Notre Dame

Considerations for

administrators

Level of commitment

Compared to other programs - e.g., those in which an administrator can bring trained actors to campus to

act out scenarios of sexual assault in front of a large audience - this program requires a much greater time

commitment on behalf of the administrator. Volunteers need to be trained, and ideally those volunteers will

run several sessions for the participants, each of considerable length. Identifying student leaders and

investing in intensive training may require time on the front end but could make shifting culture much more

efficient in the long run by using existing cultural structures on campus.

Importance of the volunteers

The effectiveness of the program for a particular institution will depend heavily on the effectiveness of the

volunteers. Volunteers need to have credibility with the target audience. Administrators should consider

including student volunteers that are already highly respected by their peers and/or visible within the

community.

Customization

MVP utilizes some of the techniques that existing research deems the most effective in reaching students.

Their programs have a strong core philosophy while being malleable enough to adapt to specific audiences

and institutional needs. They are interactive and if administered properly will effectively engage the

students to take an active role in the discussion about sexual violence.