The Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office (Prevention at Pitt) works to promote ongoing dialogues with faculty, staff and students around issues of consent, bystander intervention, harassment and healthy relationships with the goal of eradicating sexual misconduct on Pitt’s campus. We encourage all members of campus to be involved with these initiatives.
Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) organizations are offered 4 elective prevention programs for the academic year. Any of the 4 programs offered will count toward an organization’s progress on the relevant focus area within the Cathedral Standards of Excellence. If your organization is interested in holding one of the programs listed below, please contact Willa Campbell or Prevention at Pitt to schedule your program. We look forward to seeing you this year!
Options:
SAFE
(Fulfillment: 1 SAFE workshop)
SAFE (Sexual Assault Facilitation and Education) is a group of trained peer educators who are dedicated to cultivating conversations with their fellow students around topics such as relationship and sexual violence, supporting survivors, consent, interpersonal communication, and bystander intervention.
SAFE Peer Educators offer four workshops lasting 45 minutes to an hour. These workshops encourage dialogue around consent, bystander intervention, healthy relationships, and survivor support. Request a workshop.
For additional questions, please reach out to safestudentleaders@pitt.edu.
- Bystander Education Training
This interactive program offers participants the opportunity to understand what it means to be an active bystander when they observe others in distressing or potentially harmful situations. Participants will begin to identify strategies and utilize communication skills necessary for intervention in situations they are concerned could be harmful to another person. Information about consent and student resources are also included. - Healthy Relationships
This workshop includes activities and discussions that will help participants identify the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships. Using inclusive scenarios and relevant examples, peer leaders will walk participants through many important topics around relationship violence, stalking, possessive behaviors, and more. Information will also be provided for supporting peers who have been affected by dating violence or abuse. - Talk Dirty to Me
This program offers a deep dive into consent- what consent is, why consent is important, and when it can and cannot be given. This program will include discussions on what makes for an uncomfortable sexual experience, as well as the elements needed for a good, mutually enjoyable sexual encounter. This workshop is highly interactive and gives participants a chance to build confidence in practicing consent through engaging activities. - Survivor Support
This workshop provides participants with tools and a basic framework they can use to support survivors of sexual assault in their lives. This workshop covers how to support a survivor in a few simple steps and discusses resources available to survivors of sexual violence on campus as well as in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
Circle Up
(Fulfillment: 1 Circle)
What is Circle Up?
We know that sex, sexuality, and sexual violence have much stigma attached. To support survivors of sexual violence as well as prevent future incidents, we need to address that stigma, and we do that by having dialogues about these topics. We believe that by talking about complex issues, we can build connection, and that connection can create meaningful change on our campus and beyond. Conversation circles are a community building tool. Circle Up provides a safe space for participants to build communication skills, learn from each other, and create a more connected campus.
Creating a more connected community also means allowing for conversations about relationships to extend beyond those related to sexual relationships. We have developed Circles to address a variety of relationships including sexual, romantic, platonic, familial, and professional.
What are “Circles?”
Exactly as the name suggestions, Circles involved participants sitting in a circle facing one another, having a conversation. Each circle is guided by a trauma-informed, trained facilitator, who utilizes carefully designed discussion guides to ensure conversations are kept on topic and safe throughout. Participants are encouraged to journal their thoughts throughout the circle with various prompts given by the facilitator and each participant is given a journal to take with them to continue exploring the topics discussed in the circle.
Circles are held for 90 minutes in the Prevention at Pitt office (31st floor of the Cathedral of Learning).
Circle Topics
Our circles address a wide array of topics such as:
- Sexual agency
- Consent
- Boundaries
- Healthy relationships
- Belonging
SETPoint
(Fulfillment: 1 SETpoint class)
SETpoint: Empowerment Based Self-Defense Training
SETpoint is an empowerment self-defense training program. SETpoint training will teach you how to:
- Pick up and react to clues in your environment;
- Recognize healthy and unhealthy behaviors in relationships;
- Set your own boundaries and respect the boundaries that others set;
- Maximize your body’s inherent strengths, including your senses and your intuition;
- Practice punches, kicks, and other self-defense moves at a physical level appropriate for your body;
- Be an active bystander to help others in need.
You’ll leave feeling strong, energized, and empowered! This is a one-time, 2.5 hour training session that can accommodate up to 24 students and a minimum of 12 students. Student organizations will need to secure appropriate space, the Prevention at Pitt team can help with this.
SETpoint coaching is inclusive, trauma-informed, and survivor-centered. Lead coach Michele Montag is certified as an Empowerment Self-Defense instructor through the National Women's Martial Arts Federation.
FSL Dialogue Series
10-week dialogue series fulfills
Purpose: The dialogue series was developed with the goal of increasing thoughtful, ongoing, dialogue that promotes a healthy environment within all Fraternity and Sorority Life chapters at Pitt. Members will be encouraged to engage in regular discussions that will allow organizations to assess their organizations' health and ensure their values align with their climate.
Members will participate in 10 weekly discussions on topics such as identity, consent, relationships, sexuality, bystander intervention and supporting people who have been impacted by trauma. Ongoing dialogue, that makes space for all perspectives, is an important part of building a safe and respectful campus and chapter. Most organizations hold these brief discussions during their chapter meetings, but discussions can be held at alternate times if preferred.