Funding is an essential part of this movement/ project. Our plan is to collect $10,500 to be able to successfully carry out all the phases this project has.
First, we have the marketing/ awareness phase (the one with field day) and that will cost around $2,000 for shirts, food, prizes, and more.Â
Next, there’s the training phase which will cost around $2,500 to hire teachers, therapists, and other trainers.Â
Finally, the technology phase is what’ll cost around $5,000 to $6,000 to hire the right developers. Usually, a decent project costs around $4,000 to develop, but since we strive to create a project that can save lives we’d love to put 100% more effort and funding into it.
Technology Can Play a Role Too
We plan to create a revolutionary online platform used both on desktop and mobile to connect all the sexual assault organizations on campus where they can work together as one team. This platform will have two interfaces; one from the organizations’ point of view and one from the students’ point of view. The organizations’ view will consist of a chat connecting representatives of all other similar organizations on Rutgers campus, an events tab that all the groups can view, an ideas tab where different groups can pitch ideas, an announcement tab where groups can make announcements to each other or to students, and a collaboration tab where groups can plan a project or event together.
SOS-Friendly
This will be a platform where users can also be warned of dangerous areas (i.e. there’s been crime there often before), users can report suspicious activity and will get immediate response by local/ Rutgers police (GPS tracker and API connection to 911). Users can also report when they’re in trouble and if there’s a nearby user they’ll get alerted and they’ll be a potential bystander. But in either case, police will get alerted right away. A powerful social movement, in my opinion, needs a powerful social platform. While Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and of course Tumblr all have a purpose, our social platform will have its own as well-- to prevent and save lives from being ruined.
VPOTUS. Vice president of the United States, at the time, Joe Biden, speaking at Rutgers University in the name of the “It’s On Us” movement and against the foolish acts of sexual harassment.
Working together is the universal rule for success; hence, partnering with top organizations at Rutgers is one of our priorities. Joining forces with organizations of different audiences and different strengths will make the movement only stronger going forward. Some of these organizations are:
Victim Prevention and Victim Protection (VPVA)
Suicide Prevention Rutgers
It’s On Us
Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences
Rutgers Business School
Rutgers School of Engineering
RUPA
RUDM (Dance Marathon)
Fraternities &Â Sororities
Rutgers Residence Life
Rutgers Police Department
Center for Latino Arts and Culture
Rutgers MSA (Muslim Society of America)
Rutgers Jewish Center
Our main goal in partnering with these organizations is not only to gain the community’s trust, but to create a link between all the influencers in our community and bring a change together.
After Awareness: Training
Being prepared is essential especially for situations like this. Here we thrive to get our students mentally, emotionally, and socially prepared for any situation in which they see a victim or in which they fall victim. Bystander prevention is proven to be the most effective way of reducing sexual harassment and assault; therefore, it is essential that everyone has some sort of bystander training. It’ll be our job to train students to know exactly what to do in every case where they sense any sort of negative energy.Â
Another major thing is that, statistically, survivors of any form of sexual assault are more prone to being victims of similar crimes. Our goal will not only to emotionally be there for survivors and give them a sense of home and spirit again, but it’ll also be to prevent them from falling victim to the evils of society again.
Our end goal is to award a certificate to those students who participate and complete a given amount of hours. A sense of reward will be motivational for students and will push other students to do the same. We also would consider partnering with Rutgers University and suggest a mandatory short class (for example, 15 hours a semester) where students learn and train in a way that’s similar to what’s mentioned before.
Help us raise awareness by organizing events and workshops for your peers and friends. It is important that everyone on campus is aware that sexual harassment is a thing. Usually, schools and classrooms don’t mention anything about it (before college); therefore, we need to make it our priority to spread awareness.
This can be done through events and having students participate in something they should find life changing. For example, organizing a play for those who love theater, a public speaking competition (about the movement) for those who enjoy public speaking, mock trial (about adding prevention laws) for our aspiring politicians, and wrap everything up with a sports competition/ field day to bring people together in the name of awareness.Â
This can be done as a whole day event at the Rutgers Stadium. For example, it starts with a play about sexual harassment/ domestic violence, then it proceeds to mock trial and the public speaking competition, then there’d be a few guest speakers (even Joe Biden isn’t far fetched since he’s in charge of the No More movement), and finally after all the events we’d wrap up with an extensive field day and give participants different awareness shirts to compete in.
VPVA (Violence Prevention & Victim Assistance) at Rutgers, reported that ¼-1/5 of all women will experience an attempted or complete rape while attending college. If that isn’t alarming enough, they also report that only 16% of the assaults are reported to police-with only 5% being reported on college campuses. Therefore, statistics show that 42% of rape victims on college campuses told no one.
Numbers reported in 2016 put Rutgers University on the frontline as the leading college on rape crime in the state-with 23 rape incidents reported. According to the statistics provided by the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance (VPVA) at Rutgers, sexual assault is the second most common crime committed on college campus
The amount of rape incidents that are reported in the city of New Brunswick, NJ alone is something to be alarmed about. In fact, on the annual crime report the city releases, it shows that a total of 1,644 crimes were reported in the city and out of those crimes, 38 were rape crimes and 142 were assault crimes. The statistics also show that out of every 100,000 people, 66.5 will have reported a rape crime. That, in itself, is higher than the national average of 40.4 per 100,000. As a large portion of New Brunswick’s population is students attending Rutgers University, one can assume that a big portion of that number comes from within campus grounds.
What can we do to keep our campus peaceful and enjoyable for everyone?
- If you see signs of somebody being harassed or in an abusive relationship, speak up. Victims of harassment and domestic violence often feel trapped.
- Know the limits between jokes and taking it too far. If you sense the lack of comfort in someone you’re talking to or interested in, perhaps you should take a step back.
- Don’t pressure anybody.
- Spread awareness.
- Talk to survivors and make them feel sane-- often times, survivors feel alone after they experience what they did.
What is considered sexual harassment? Are you making someone uncomfortable by what you’re saying? If so, stop right there and reevaluate your decisions.
The vice president, in an open letter sent to BuzzFeed News, said "a lot of people failed" the Stanford sexual assault survivor and that she will "save lives" thanks to the powe...
An Open Letter to a Courageous Young Woman
I do not know your name—but your words are forever seared on my soul. Words that should be required reading for men and women of all ages.
Words that I wish with all of my heart you never had to write.
I am in awe of your courage for speaking out—for so clearly naming the wrongs that were done to you and so passionately asserting your equal claim to human dignity.
And I am filled with furious anger—both that this happened to you and that our culture is still so broken that you were ever put in the position of defending your own worth.
It must have been wrenching—to relive what he did to you all over again. But you did it anyway, in the hope that your strength might prevent this crime from happening to someone else. Your bravery is breathtaking.
You are a warrior—with a solid steel spine.
I do not know your name—but I know that a lot of people failed you that terrible January night and in the months that followed.
Anyone at that party who saw that you were incapacitated yet looked the other way and did not offer assistance. Anyone who dismissed what happened to you as “just another crazy night.” Anyone who asked “what did you expect would happen when you drank that much?” or thought you must have brought it on yourself.
You were failed by a culture on our college campuses where one in five women is sexually assaulted—year after year after year. A culture that promotes passivity. That encourages young men and women on campuses to simply turn a blind eye.
The statistics on college sexual assault haven’t gone down in the past two decades. It’s obscene, and it’s a failure that lies at all our feet.
And you were failed by anyone who dared to question this one clear and simple truth: Sex without consent is rape. Period. It is a crime.
I do not know your name—but thanks to you, I know that heroes ride bicycles.
Those two men who saw what was happening to you—who took it upon themselves to step in—they did what they instinctually knew to be right.
They did not say “It’s none of my business.”
They did not worry about the social or safety implications of intervening, or about what their peers might think.
Those two men epitomize what it means to be a responsible bystander.
To do otherwise—to see an assault about to take place and do nothing to intervene—makes you part of the problem.
Like I tell college students all over this country—it’s on us. All of us.
We all have a responsibility to stop the scourge of violence against women once and for all.
I do not know your name – but I see your unconquerable spirit.
I see the limitless potential of an incredibly talented young woman—full of possibility. I see the shoulders on which our dreams for the future rest.
I see you.
You will never be defined by what the defendant’s father callously termed “20 minutes of action.”
His son will be.
I join your global chorus of supporters, because we can never say enough to survivors: I believe you. It is not your fault.
What you endured is never, never, never, NEVER a woman’s fault.
And while the justice system has spoken in your particular case, the nation is not satisfied.
And that is why we will continue to speak out.
We will speak to change the culture on our college campuses—a culture that continues to ask the wrong questions: What were you wearing?
Why were you there? What did you say? How much did you drink?
Instead of asking: Why did he think he had license to rape?
We will speak out against those who seek to engage in plausible deniability. Those who know that this is happening, but don’t want to get involved. Who believe that this ugly crime is “complicated.”
We will speak of you—you who remain anonymous not only to protect your identity, but because you so eloquently represent “every woman.”
We will make lighthouses of ourselves, as you did—and shine.
Your story has already changed lives.
You have helped change the culture.
You have shaken untold thousands out of the torpor and indifference towards sexual violence that allows this problem to continue.
Your words will help people you have never met and never will.
You have given them the strength they need to fight.
And so, I believe, you will save lives.
I do not know your name—but I will never forget you.
The millions who have been touched by your story will never forget you.
And if everyone who shared your letter on social media, or who had a private conversation in their own homes with their daughters and sons, draws upon the passion, the outrage, and the commitment they feel right now the next time there is a choice between intervening and walking away—then I believe you will have helped to change the world for the better.
Joe Biden, Vice President at the time, wrote a letter to the Stanford University woman sexually abused by Brock Turner-- who shockingly got away with it when the judge said “he has a swimming career ahead of him”.
Dr. Larry Nassar Sentenced to 40 to 175 Years for Sexual Abuse
We thank Judge Rosemarie Aquilina for serving justice. We thank each of the incredibly courageous survivors for bravely sharing their stories.
It in unthinkable that so many adults covered for Nassar. Nassar took advantage of young girls and women who trusted him. He is a monster, and no apology, no prison sentence, will ever be enough to atone for what he did.
Judge Aquilina reading a portion of Nassar’s letter. Photo Brenden Mcdermid/Reuters
Believe girls and women. Elect women to positions of power. Above all, trust girls and women.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/sports/larry-nassar-sentencing.html
I'm a survivor of domestic violence. My life is not normal like anyone else you meet on campus. Dealing with 18 months of abuse and stalking changed my life forever. 18 months of feeling trapped and crying myself to sleep. In the end, I became stronger and dependent only on myself; but also, damaged and betrayed.
Commit to learn more about sexual violence and abuse, to stand with survivors, to speak up when you hear victim-blaming and/or sexist comments that limit women and men, and to donate to a local anti-violence program.
38,000 people including myself took the pledge to help prevent sexual violence. It’s your turn. This is a pledge that you will not be a predator and you will speak up if you see something. Be the change.
