Santa Monica College is holding events and sharing information to bring awareness to sexual assault.

Throughout the month of April, Santa Monica College (SMC) will hold a series of online and in-person events in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Some of the topics covered included self-defense training, dealing with trauma and art therapy. The month-long program is spearheaded by the SMC Title IX department.

“Sexual violence happens all the time, but in April we just want to really highlight how sexual harassment, assault, and violence hurts and impacts all of us, and what can be done about it,” said Lisa Winter, SMC’s Title IX Coordinator. Winter works alongside several appointed deputies to oversee Title IX compliance at the college.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs and activities. The law also considers sexual assault and sexual harassment as forms of discrimination.

The definitions of sexual assault and sexual violence includes events of rape, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and sexual battery.

The importance of observing SAAM at the college was brought up during the SMC Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, April 4. The meeting’s agenda affirmed that the month-long program provides “a special opportunity to educate people about sexual violence, encourages the prevention of sexual assault, and has improved treatment of its victims/survivors, and the prosecution of its perpetrators.”

The Board also discussed SMC’s support of the Peace Over Violence’s appointment of April 26 as “Denim Day,” a date when people are urged to wear denim to spread the message that “there is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.” Peace Over Violence is a nonprofit organization focused on the issues of sexual, domestic, and interpersonal violence.

One event, titled “Empowerment through Self Defense,” will take place on April 19 at the Core Performance Center, room 216. The workshop will cover strategies and tools to both avoid violent conflict and prepare for unwanted physical altercations. Professor Garen Baghdasarian from the SMC Kinesiology and Athletics department will serve as the instructor.

From the same department, Professor Karen Huner will lead a Restorative Yoga workshop at the same location on April 21. The class will focus on a gentle form of yoga that focuses on relaxation and stress relief. The goal will be to teach attendees to better connect with their bodies, encouraging the release of emotional tension and helping to calm the nervous system.

“Prevention is only achieved with lots of attention,” said Winter. “Our goal at SMC is to provide support, offer resources, educate, and work with allies so our students feel safe.”

Illustration by Victor Chambers

According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are at significant risk of sexual assault, with those under the age of 18 accounting for approximately 44 percent of all reported assaults. The DOJ also stated that female college students of that age are three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in general while their male counterparts are five times more likely than non-student males.

A 2018 study by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center stated that 81 percent of women experience some kind of sexual violence throughout their lives, compared to only 43 percent of men. The study also showed that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men had survived sexual assault.

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a survey that found that women of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence. The report, titled National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), states that within the LGBTQ+ community, transgender people and bisexual women face the most alarming rates of sexual violence.

“All of the cases of assault I’ve heard about in the seven years I’ve worked here have taken place outside the campus,” said Johnnie Adams, Chief of the SMC Police Department (SMCPD). “However, we still try to be as helpful as we can because I feel we should be safety advocates.”

Adams said that if an SMC student has been a victim of sexual violence off-campus, they can still reach out to the college’s police department for assistance. “We can help them navigate the SMC resources, get a restraining order, or direct them to treatment centers in the area.”

Adams also affirmed that in the event of a sexual violence episode, a student should call the SMCPD first. He said that all SMCPD officers undergo extensive background check and training and are well-equipped to handle sensitive situations.

“It’s important for students to know that they don’t have to share their identity if they don’t want to,” said Adams. “The most important thing is to get the student to a safe place and have them receive immediate help.”

When it comes to students protecting and defending themselves, he recommends having the LiveSafe app installed on one’s phone, walking in pairs or groups, and even carrying a small pepper spray on a keychain. “It’s legal on campus, but it should only be used defensively to allow yourself to escape from a dangerous situation,” Adams said.

He explained that to properly use a pepper spray, one should firmly hold the release trigger for two to five seconds while gesturing in a figure-eight pattern and focusing on the “face’s triangle,” which is the forehead and eyes area.

LiveSafe is a free mobile app that SMC shares with its students, faculty, and staff to provide direct and fast communication with the college’s safety officials. The application is available for download on the App Store or Google Play.

“You can use the GPS in the app to follow a friend’s movements if they are feeling unsafe, for example,” said Adams. “It’s like a technological version of the buddy system.”

The schedule of all SAAM events can be found on the SMC’s events webpage.

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