Kaniewski said three years ago he was in the same situation as this year's freshmen. 'Now I feel like I can help prevent it,' Losch said. Trevor Losch, freshman in Engineering, said the workshop changed his view about rape.

'It helped me know what to do in certain situations.' 'I thought it was very informative and helpful,' said Sarah Serviss, freshman in LAS. Most students left the session with a positive outlook. Many rape victims incorrectly blame themselves or have friends who blame them.

'They're here so they can learn to support survivors and stop the general disregard of sexual assault.'Īn important aspect of this program is its emphasis on not blaming the victims of rape, Brahm said. 'They have to realize that they're not here because we're trying to stop them from raping people,' Conway said. Some men, however, said they feel apprehensive about attending the workshop. They are peer-led to make the information more accessible, he said. Wantland said the workshops are in residence halls instead of classrooms to create a more comfortable environment for discussion. However, for 80 to 90 percent of recorded rapes, the victim knew the perpetrator. Wantland said one example is the belief that rapists attack out of nowhere. He said there were many misconceptions concerning sexual assault. Wantland, a 28-year-old University alumnus, stressed the importance of rape education. The separation helps men and women to open up without feeling pressure from the opposite sex, Wantland said. The facilitators focused the conversation on several topics, including how to support survivors, how to reduce the risk of rape, how to discourage friends from trivializing rape with jokes, how to dispel common misconceptions about rape and how to find resources for survivors and supporters.Īfter the first hour, males and females split up for private discussions in separate rooms. The trio guided more than 50 University freshmen in an informative discussion about rape. 17, is being conducted at several residence halls around campus.Īdam Kaniewski, senior in ALS Diana Brahm, junior in LAS and Eric Conway, sophomore in LAS, led the two-hour First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education workshop Sunday at ISR. The program, which runs this semester from Sept. The mandatory rape education workshops have educated freshmen about sexual assault since fall 1996. One in six women at the University will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their college career, according to Ross Wantland, coordinator of Sexual Assault Education and First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education organizer. (Originally published in the Daily Illini on )

Survivors the quest darts