Aggie students pledging to intervene and prevent sexual assault

A volunteer helps a fellow USU student pledge to help prevent sexual assault.

LOGAN – Utah State University students are pledging to “step in and stop sexual assault” if they see it taking place. The new “I Will” campaign is focused on bystander intervention and follows the “Consent Is” campaign as the second phase of the sexual assault prevention effort on campus.

<a href=”http://www.usu.edu/sexual-assault/i-will/” target=”_blank”>Online</a> and in person, USU students have been putting their names on a pledge, promising to help prevent sexual assault. Those that have pledged have promised to:

– Not tolerate jokes, attitudes, or any behavior that perpetuates sexual assault.

– Decide now to intervene if consent has not or cannot be given.

– Step in if they see warning signs of sexual assault on social media, at parties or in a friend’s relationship.

– Not assume someone else will stop sexual assault. To be the one to step in.

– Believe and help survivors of sexual assault.

USU student Preston Brooksby volunteered to help with the campaign. He and others set up a booth in the Taggart Student Center to inform passing students about the efforts and offer the opportunity to pledge in person. He said he feels like the campaign has so far been successful.

“It is important to make people feel safe,” he said, “to know that if they come to this campus they can have a good experience instead of one bad experience over all the good ones.”

USU student Dea Mitton was one of the students who stopped and pledged. She said she helps with domestic violence awareness through the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and believes more movements like this one need to take place.

“It is an important issue that matters,” she said. “There is not enough that is done.”

Brooksby said most that pass by stop and sign.

“I think everyone wants to feel safe and wants to help, at least pledge to help other people,” he said. “I believe everybody has good in them so they should be able to pledge.”

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