Get Involved

By increasing awareness and education on issues of sexual harassment and violence, and by working together to create a community centered on mutual respect and civility, we can help support victims and prevent future occurrences of sexual abuse. Review the available recommendations and resources to learn more about how you can get involved and stop abuse.

Ways You Can Help Victims

How do you help a friend affected by sexual harassment or violence?

If someone you know shows signs that they are experiencing, or have been a victim of, harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, or stalking, there are ways you can help:

• Believe them! Don’t immediately question or dismiss their experience.
• Listen to your friend. Keep questions to a minimum and ask how you can help.
• Assure them that it is not their fault that this has happened.
• Tell them that help is available! Direct them to APU's information on how to report abuse and who they can contact for support. Let them know that you are here to support them in whatever choices they make.

If you believe that someone you know may be experiencing sexual violence of some kind, let them know you care about their wellbeing and encourage them to seek help. Getting help promptly can alleviate crisis and protect the health and wellbeing of your friend.

People who have experienced harassment or abuse may feel:

• Shock, disbelief, numbness, withdrawal.
• Preoccupation with thoughts and feelings about the assault.
• Unwanted memories, flashbacks, and/or nightmares.
• Intense anger, fear, anxiety, or depression.
• Physical symptoms such as sleep disturbance, headaches, or stomachaches.
• Inability to concentrate; loss of focus on academics and lower grades.
• Loss of interest in sex.
• Fears about safety.
• Feelings of guilt and shame.

Become an active bystander

Bystanders greatly outnumber both perpetrators and victims and have the power to prevent abuse and get help for people who have been victimized. Active bystanders are individuals who are aware of an abusive situation, and choose to speak up and say or do something without putting their own safety at risk.

The power to stop sexual violence is not limited to eyewitness heroics or endangering your own safety. Things you can do before or after an instance of violence can help prevent abuse from happening at Azusa Pacific:

• Always ask your partner for consent in intimate situations.
• Call 911 if there is immediate danger to you or someone else.
• Speak up if someone says or does something indicating intent to commit sexual violence, like stopping a friend from driving drunk, or stopping a friend or teammate from inappropriate actions. By intervening, you can help protect more than one person.
• Respect your peers, including fellow students, faculty, staff, and guests. Say something to protest offensive or derogatory remarks, including sexist or racist jokes. If you sense trouble, ask the affected person if help is needed.
• Review available resources for more information on understanding and helping prevent abuse.

Bystander Intervention

If acts of violence against other individuals are observed, members of the APU community have the option to intervene to help stop the act, only if it is safe and positive to do so without risking further harm. Suggested options include:

• Dial 911
• Contact Campus Safety
• Yell and draw attention to a witnessed act of violence from a safe distance in order to frighten off the perpetrator
• Remain in the area to provide witness information to the authorities

Training, Education, and Prevention

In support of APU’s sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual violence policies, APU provides the following sexual assault educational resources and prevention education for all students and employees.

• R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) Classes
• Annual Title IX and sexual assault prevention education for athletes and coaches
• Annual Title IX and sexual assault prevention education for resident advisors, orientation leaders, undergraduate student government officers, and women's resource center staff
• Online training for all new students and transfer students
• Training all new employees through the Office of Human Resources new employee orientation program

Additionally, Campus Safety provides safety whistles, safety escorts, safety videos, safety and prevention presentations (upon request), and an after-hours shuttle free of charge.

Any individual who experiences sexual assault or needs to talk to someone may utilize one or more of the resources listed in Section III.E of this policy.

Training for Those with Title IX Responsibilities

APU will ensure that Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators, investigators, and mandated responsible employees with the authority to address sexual violence are trained how to respond promptly, effectively, and appropriately to reports of sexual violence, that other responsible employees know their obligation to report sexual violence to appropriate university officials, and that all other employees understand how to respond to reports of sexual violence.

As a part of the training of employees, APU will ensure that professional counselors, pastoral counselors, and nonprofessional counselors also understand the extent to which they may keep a report confidential.