Everyone has a role in ending sexual violence. Whether you’re a student, parent, politician, or just a concerned friend, we need your support — we cannot stand alone.
Through our “Role Activism” page, you can click on the icons that best apply to you. Once there, you will find opportunities to get more involved that are tailored to you, and the role you feel suits you best. There may be more than one that applies, check them all out!
Thank you for standing with us.
College Students
Effect change at your university.
Here is how you can hold your school accountable for making sure that they commit to not only issuing a strong statement of commitment, but also making sure that statement becomes real action:
Ask critical questions of your administrators
- Does your sexual violence and harassment policy have an amnesty clause for non-violent conduct violations? (for example, if a student reports a sexual assault and was drinking, does the policy explicitly say that this student will not get in trouble with the school for consuming alcohol?)
- Does the Title IX Coordinator receive annual training that is trauma-informed?
- Are resources for survivors accessible online, including an online reporting option? If so, how are they publicized?
- Is there mandatory prevention education on campus? Is the information presented in a way that is accessible to students? Do the trainings teach students how to be active bystanders and inform them of ways to practice affirmative consent?
- Check to see if your school is reporting in the daily crime log and sending out appropriate timely warnings when crimes occur
If your school answers any of these questions with “no” or “I’m not sure,” put pressure on the administration to make sure the answers become “yes!” by writing a Demand Letter. This could include writing an open letter with other students or alumni in the local or student newspaper.
As you write this demand letter:
- Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is my school supportive of its student survivors?
- Are they meeting the standards of a comprehensive approach to addressing sexual harassment and assault?
- Has my school made an attempt to, at the very least, make a strong statement of commitment on how they will support survivors?
- Identify your goals.
- What do you wish to achieve?
- Use this as your foundation for Step #3, as you organize your team of support.
- Decide on your timeline of when you wish to draft, share, and deliver your campus commitment letter.
- Organize your team of support:
- Start off with identifying your core team of anywhere between 5-15 people that you’d want to have on your team of support to help you drive this campaign forward.
- This core team of support can be made up of trusted students, alumni, faculty, and campus administrators.
- Draw on their strengths and what they can contribute to the campaign, such as making campaign visuals, drafting/writing the initial letter to your school, researching what the policies and procedures are at the school and what the school should uphold or disregard with respect to the new Title IX regulations, or conducting outreach to other members of the student and alumni bodies.
- Draft. Draft. Draft.
- Who is your representative body? Students? Alumni? Members of the Community like faculty and campus administrators?
- What are you asking for? What do you want your school to do?
- State what why you are writing this campus commitment letter about Title IX and provide brief context as you frame your argument.
- State what the problem is and include research-based evidence to illustrate the scope of the problem.
- State what your school’s history has been on this issue and why they should be encouraged to uphold the policies laid out in the Dear Colleague Letter.
- Conclude with your direct ask.
- Examples of Campaign Letters + Campaigns:
- Publish your finalized letter on Google Driveand obtain signatures. You may want to use Google Forms to capture each signature and manually add to your letter (make sure when sharing the letter to change the setting to View Only).
- In the Google Form, include the following:
- Full Name
- School name/Class Year (if applicable)
- Student organization and role
- Current job and title
- Email address (this to share updates on the letter and the campaign as a whole)
- In the Google Form, include the following:
- Spread the word on your campaign letter!
- With your team of support, use your individual social media platforms with drafted sample tweets and posts to use.
- You can also use your campaign letter as a part of your op-ed (See above).
- You can share your letter with your local newspaper, campus newspaper, and student organizations.
- Example of Social Media Posts:
- Deliver your campus commitment letter to your campus president and other pertinent members of the community.
- Send your letter via email and provide a brief description of the letter and a quantitative and demographic breakdown of who has signed onto the letter.
- You may want to also send a physical copy of this letter to the President’s office and other offices on campus.
- **NEW** EROC Student Athlete Call to Action One-Pager
- Check out our Student Athlete Call to Action One-Pager. Collegiate student-athletes, who are twice as vulnerable to violence and abuse, are often afraid to report. By improving resources and raising awareness to help prevent harm and protect their scholarships and team positions, we’ve outlined a few simple steps to make a difference in your athletic community.
Form or join campus organizations dedicated to ending sexual violence
Offer support to on-campus groups supporting survivors or demanding better prevention efforts. Help them put pressure on your administration to prevent violence on your campus, and better handle incidents of campus sexual assault when they do occur. Get involved on your campus, your community knows what’s best. Be sure to include the voice of survivors from all backgrounds.
Host a Virtual Town Hall
With your team of support, host your own virtual town hall or partner with a student organization to host a virtual town hall and invite campus administrators to the call.
- Pre-Town Hall Planning:
- Identify your goals of the virtual town hall.
- Establish your agenda and stay concrete.
- Draft a script of what will be said and identify who will speak during your virtual town hall from your team of support.
- Establish the date and time of your virtual town hall.
- Establish the amount of time to host your virtual town hall. We recommend a maximum of 1 hour.
- Identify the best platform for your town hall. We recommend Zoom (free account has up to 100 attendees, 45 minutes or if you have access to a Zoom account that can host a higher capacity) or use Facebook Live, where you can have up to 8 co-hosts in your meeting, yet your larger community can view the live taping and send comments while watching.
- Create a graphic/flyer for the event and post on your social media.
- Schedule a run-through 1-2 days prior to virtual town hall and identify who will control the technology, answer questions in the chat room, and keep track of time.
- Spread the word on your Virtual Town Hall at least 1-2 weeks prior.
- Host your Virtual Town Hall.
- Send a follow-up with actions, resources, and thank you to all who attended (this would require pre-registration) as well as a thank you to the President, campus administrators, etc. who joined the call.
Host a screening of The Hunting Ground for University officials
Call on your administrators and trustees to host a private screening of The Hunting Ground. Encourage them to consider the trends revealed in the film, and to take action on their campus.
Get political.
Your voice matters. As a college student you have a unique opportunity to effect change through influencing policy makers. Check out our policy reform guide to get started.
Spread the word in your community.
Whether you are attending college in your hometown, or not, you can make a difference in your community both on-campus and off, to support survivors. We encourage you to consider the following:
- Volunteer your time at a local rape crisis center or domestic violence shelter
- Host a public screening of The Hunting Ground
- Use your voice. Talk to your friends about these critical issues. Follow End Rape on Campus on social media using the links below and get active in the conversation.
High School Students
Promote awareness in your school.
1. Start or join a student club dedicated to promoting healthy relationships and countering sexual violence. Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE) has resources on how to start a SAFEBAE group on campus here.
2. Participate in a DoSomething.org campaign:
3. With permission, put up flyers around your school with facts and figures about consent, sexual violence, and survivor rights.
Hold your future college accountable.
When you apply to college (or any form of higher education), you have just become a powerful force in holding your school accountable. Your voice matters. Below you will find ways you can encourage your future alma mater to foster safe and supportive environments free of sexual violence.
1. Send a tweet or a letter encouraging your school to do the right thing when it comes to sexual assault.
- Here are some key talking points:
- You are informed about these issues and plan to hold your school accountable
- Affirmative consent should be the standard at your college or university
- Faculty and staff should be trauma informed
- Sexual assault programming should be inclusive of all gender identities and expressions
- The burden of sexual assault prevention should not be placed on the backs of female students
- Click here for a sample letter.
2. When you visit colleges, ask about how they are working to end campus sexual violence.
- Here are some sample questions:
- During first year orientation, are there trainings about sexual violence and Title IX rights? Is this training in-person?
- Does this school have an affirmative consent policy?
- Do you know how to report a sexual assault?
- Does your school have an amnesty policy?
Get Political.
As a high school student you have an important role in influencing political decisions, you are a future voter, after all. Click here for our page on legislative and policy reform.
Spread the word in your community.
Use your voice. Talk to your friends about healthy relationships and sexual violence. Connect with us on social media using the links below and join the conversation.
Additional Resources from National Partners:
Stop Sexual Assault in Schools
- Stop Sexual Assault in Schools educates students, families, and schools about the right to an education free from sexual harassment. Its one-stop website offers innovative and curated resources for the K-12 audience.
- SASH Club (Students Against Sexual Harassment), a free peer education project of Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, provides inclusive resources that empower youth to confront sexual harassment and assault in their personal lives, schools, and communities.
Parents
The video below is directed towards parents whose children are survivors of sexual violence. However, every parent has a role in countering rape culture and preventing sexual violence. You are the most important educator your child will ever have. Talk honestly with your children, both your daughters and your sons, about healthy relationships and the importance of respecting their partners’ boundaries. You can support your children by holding their schools (not just colleges) accountable for fostering a safe environment and responding appropriately should violence occur.
Teach consent using age-appropriate language.
Using age- appropriate methods, you can foster empathy and teach your child about consent from a very young age. Nearly half of all victims of sexual violence are assaulted before the age of 18. It is important to teach children about this issue from a very early age, both to prevent them from potentially harming a peer and teaching them what to do if something were to happen to them.
- Teach your kids about “safe” and “unsafe touch”
- Ask for permission to touch others, and encourage them to ask for permission to touch others or use one of their toys
- Respect your child’s body-autonomy — respect them if they ask not to be tickled, hugged, or touched
- Do not force your child to kiss or hug friends or relatives
- Use and teach the correct terms for body parts, made up terms can be confusing for children and can make it more difficult for children to communicate a violation of their body if one has occurred
- Refrain from perpetuating gendered roles of responsibility in consent. Teach children of all genders to respect others and to demand respect, and challenge the idea that “boys will be boys” or that “a boy hits you because he likes you.”
Ask your child’s school the tough questions.
In the context of post-secondary schools, ask critical questions of school administrators:
- Does your sexual violence and harassment policy have an amnesty clause for non-violent conduct violations? (for example, if a student reports a sexual assault and was drinking, does the policy explicitly say that this student will not get in trouble with the school for consuming alcohol?)
- Does the Title IX Coordinator receive annual training that is trauma-informed?
- Are resources for survivors accessible online, including an online reporting option? If so, how are they publicized?
- Is there mandatory prevention education on campus? Is the training given to small groups of students, or is it held in large lecture halls? Does the training teach students how to be active bystanders and inform them of ways to practice affirmative consent?
If your school answers any of these questions with “no” or “I’m not sure,” put pressure on the administration to make sure the answers become “yes!” This could include writing an open letter with other students or alumni in the local or student newspaper.
In the context of high school or middle school it is important to remember that Title IX applies to K-12 institutions that receive any form of federal funding. You can demand the same thing of your child’s middle or high schools that you do at their colleges.
Get political.
You can create a safer, more supportive environment for yourself and your children through political activism. What you ask of your senators and members of congress, and your state legislature, matters on both the federal and state level. There are many ways to reach your elected officials.
Educators
Support Students in the classroom.
As a professor, you are likely trusted by many of your students, especially first year students. There may be a time when students come to you regarding a sexual assault, before that happens, you can do the following to support your students both in and out of the classroom to make your community a safer place.
Mandatory Reporting
If you are a mandatory reporter, make sure that your students are aware. If you have an opportunity to weight in on mandatory reporting policies, we recommend standing in opposition of mandatory reporting to local law enforcement. We trust and support survivors to make informed decisions if they are given all the right information.
Whether or not you are a mandatory reporter, encourage the administration to appoint a confidential advocate for student survivors.
Informing your students of their rights
While all post-secondary institutions are required to make students aware of their Title IX and Title II rights, some professors have taken to including them on their syllabi. You can also include resources such as the Title IX coordinator contact information, external resources like a local rape crisis center, and more.
Academic accommodations
Survivors of sexual violence can experience negative mental health outcomes, all of which can and should be addressed by the school’s Title II or Accessibility/Disability Office. Provide them with campus resources, and remind them that they should process and heal in whatever way is best for them. If your student doesn’t have official accommodations you can refer them to Title II resources on your campus, and exercise understanding and flexibility in the context of your classroom.
Consider Assigning We Believe You as a required text for your class.
We Believe You is a powerful collection of 36 stories of survival, healing and everyday activism. It elevates the stories of marginalized populations including students of color, LGBT folks, and male survivors. This text is used in legal classrooms, the humanities, and has been proposed as a summer reading book. Consider including this valuable resource in your curriculum and encourage your school to use it as a text for summer programs.
Create reform at your school.
Ask critical questions of your administrators
- Does your sexual violence and harassment policy have an amnesty clause for non-violent conduct violations? (for example, if a student reports a sexual assault and was drinking, does the policy explicitly say that this student will not get in trouble with the school for consuming alcohol?)
- Does the Title IX Coordinator receive annual training that is trauma-informed?
- Are resources for survivors accessible online, including an online reporting option? If so, how are they publicized?
- Is there mandatory prevention education on campus? Is the training given to small groups of students, or is it held in large lecture halls? Do the trainings teach students how to be active bystanders and inform them of ways to practice affirmative consent?
If your school answers any of these questions with “no” or “I’m not sure,” put pressure on the administration to make sure the answers become “yes!” This could include writing an open letter with other students or alumni in the local or student newspaper.
Host a screening of The Hunting Ground for University officials:
Call on your administrators and trustees to host a private screening of The Hunting Ground. Encourage them to consider the trends revealed in the film, and to follow the many administrations across the nation that are taking action.
Faculty trainings on sexual violence
If your administration has not yet included faculty trainings outside of employee harassment, encourage the administration to train all professors. Demand that your university move beyond compliance to support survivors and prevent sexual violence.
Engage critically in the faculty trainings. Ask questions like, “why are we asking young female students to walk in groups?” or “won’t telling survivors that re-traumatize them?”
If you think the Title IX officer at your school isn’t using the best practices, you can send them updated resources.
GET POLITICAL
Your stance as a college or university employee is important in the political discourse surrounding campus sexual assault. What you ask of your senators and members of congress, and your state legislature, matters on both the federal and state level. There are many ways to reach your elected officials. Check out our policy reform guide to get started.
Activism takes many forms. By supporting survivors and refusing to ignore this epidemic, you are engaging in activism.
Never forget to support survivors, trust survivors, and believe survivors. You can find a good collection of resources here.
Other Resources
- To Become a Teacher: Sexual Assault Prevention: A Guide for Students, Educators, and School Administrators
- Know Your IX: Supporting High School Survivors, Teachers
- Not Alone: Guidelines and Recommendations for Schools
Alumni
As an alumn, one of the most important things you can do is hold your alma mater accountable for its sexual assault prevention and treatment of survivors. For more resources than those provided below, please visit Alumni United.
Ask questions.
Ask critical questions of administrators:
- Does your sexual violence and harassment policy have an amnesty clause for non-violent conduct violations? (for example, if a student reports a sexual assault and was drinking, does the policy explicitly say that this student will not get in trouble with the school for consuming alcohol?)
- Does the Title IX Coordinator receive annual training that is trauma-informed?
- Are resources for survivors accessible online, including an online reporting option? If so, how are they publicized?
- Is there mandatory prevention education on campus? Is the training given to small groups of students, or is it held in large lecture halls? Do the trainings teach students how to be active bystanders and inform them of ways to practice affirmative consent?
If your school answers any of these questions with “no” or “I’m not sure,” put pressure on the administration to make sure the answers become “yes!” This could include writing an open letter with other students or alumn in the local or student newspaper.
Withhold donations if necessary.
Schools depend on alumni donations. If your alma mater has inadequate sexual assault policies and/or enforcements, tell your school that you will divert your donations to an organization that supports survivors instead.
Get political.
While it can seem implausible that you can influence legislation — you can. What you ask of your senators and members of congress, and your state legislature, matters on both the federal and state level. There are many ways to reach your elected officials.
Check out our political reform guide to get started
Change starts at home.
Whether you still live in your college town or not, you can make a difference in your community both on-campus and off, to support survivors. We encourage you to consider the following:
Volunteer your time at a local rape crisis center or domestic violence shelter.
Host a public screening of The Hunting Ground.
Follow End Rape on Campus on Twitter and Facebook and get involved in the conversation.
Read We Believe You, an anthology of 36 survivor stories, and share this powerful piece, amplifying marginalized voices, with your friends.
Activism takes many forms. By supporting survivors and refusing to ignore this epidemic, you are engaging in activism.
Never forget to support survivors, trust survivors, and believe survivors. You can find a good collection of resources here.
Greek Live
Greek organizations are a powerful and pervasive force on campus. Unfortunately, when it comes to sexual assault, the statistics around greek life are unsettling:
- According to the National Institute of Justice sorority membership is a “risk factor” for sexual assault — 25% of sexual assault victims surveyed were sorority members but only 14% of non-victims surveyed belonged to a sorority.
- Fraternity houses have been described by academic journals as “dangerous places for women”
- Fraternity men are three times more likely to commit rape than their non-greek peers.
As a member of Greek life at your university, you have an important and unique role and you can serve as a leader in promoting a culture of consent and respect.
Generate awareness within your organization
- Host a screening of The Hunting Ground at your chapter
- Read and spread We Believe You, an anthology of 36 survivors stories, in your chapter to enhance your understanding of this critical issue.
- Engage in conversations about affirmative consent, healthy relationships, and a culture of respect at chapter meetings.
- Bring in speakers from your local rape crisis center or a related campus organization and host a teach-in
- Require consent and bystander intervention trainings for all of your members
Know, improve, and enforce your organization’s sexual assault policy.
“Best practices are only best when practiced.” – Julia Dixon
Most greek members EROC surveyed were not aware of their organization’s policy on sexual assault. Ensure your members are well informed about the policies of the national chapter, university, and individual house levels. Hold each other accountable in following the policy guidelines
EROC has developed comprehensive policy recommendations for Greek organizations. Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss the recommendations.
Get political.
Your voice matters. You have an important opportunity to instigate meaningful policy reform. Check out our policy reform guide to get started.
If you are a fraternity member, watch and share this video:
Activism takes many forms, and support survivors and refusing to ignore the epidemic on our campuses is a way of standing up to the institutional indifference so many survivors have faced. By refusing to ignore sexual assault, you are engaging in activism.
Never forget to support survivors, trust survivors, and believe survivors. You can find a good collection of resources here.
