Frankie Y. Bailey
A campus-wide teaching day on stopping violence against women was conducted at the University on March 24, 1993. Jointly sponsored by the Institute for Research on Women, the Women's Studies Department, the Office of Affirmative Action, the Women's Issues Office of the Student Association, the President's Task Force on Women's Safety, and the Coalition for a Just Community, the purpose of the teaching day was to increase the knowledge of the members of the University community about the issue of violence against women, its multiple manifestations, and strategies for changing the cultural climate which fosters-and even sanctions-such violence.
The teaching day, which was undertaken with the support of the University Senate, involved two components. Faculty members were encouraged to participate in the educational effort during the week of March 22-26 by incorporating, as relevant, materials on the issue of violence against women into their classroom activities. Occurring mid-way through the week, the teaching day itself was a day-long series of educational activities, including a campus forum, panel discussions, and videos on violence against women.
The campus forum featured Dr. Christine Gidycz, a psychology professor at Ohio University, who addressed the topic, "Acquaintance Rape: The Epidemic on College Campuses." Addressing an audience of about 200 students, faculty, and other members of the University community, Dr. Gidycz noted the extremely high percentages of women who report being victims of rape, attempted rape, or other sexual confrontations. Her own research indicates that women in their first year of college are particularly at-risk during the first nine weeks of the semester. Situational factors such as the use of alcohol and drugs and dating rituals contribute to sexual assaults, Dr. Gidycz noted. Additionally, she pointed out that these situational factors interact with societal factors to perpetuate the sexual assault of women. Dr. Gidycz's current research suggests that relatively modest inventions focusing on situational factors interact with societal factors to effective in reducing acquaintance rape among college students.
In addition to the campus forum, three panel sessions were held addressing the public policy response to violence against women, the social and psychological consequences of violence, and the campus response to issues of violence against women.