Founded by Binghamton University in 2004-2005, 20:1 is dedicated to the approximately 20 women per hour who are sexually assaulted in the United States. It is a peer-to-peer model, through which male and female students on campus educate other students about sexual assault with an emphasis on programming directed at men in Greek Life and Athletics. The main goals are to: raise awareness of what constitutes sexual assault, define and explore consent; challenge perspectives and deeply held biases, challenge victim blaming and rape myths, explore and encourage bystander behavior, provide information on how to support victims, and highlight available resources both on and off campus.
Program Name | Level of Evidence | Format | Target Audience | Special Features |
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20:1
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Promising Direction |
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We design programming based on the need/culture of the group we are presenting to. Therefore we have unique programs designed for each group i.e. incoming students, fraternities and sororities, athletes, student leaders, multi-cultural group and LGBTQ groups. All programs are peer led and are interactive/discussion based. |
Binghamton University has developed a three-tiered prevention program addressing three key areas: Empathy, Awareness and Bystander-intervention. The first tier, called the Empathy-Based Program, utilizes peer educators to elicit victim empathy, and raise awareness around consent, victim blaming and rape myths. The second tier, the Awareness-Based Program, is designed to promote self awareness specifically around the issues of consent through the use of an interactive technique that allows participants to talk about their biases, personal acceptance or rejection of rape myths, and cultural constructs around sexuality and sexual assault. The third tier, the Bystander-Based Program, emerged from comments of participants who felt that they had become more aware of the problem and would like to help, but do not know what to do. This tier is designed to help fraternity men become more socially aware and willing to act to protect others.
Research shows that peer to peer, small group, interactive programming is most helpful in prevention work addressing interpersonal violence. We use this method to provide an experience for students where they can explore and challenge their own perspectives, as well as gain skills to make changes, whether that be for themselves, through bystander intervention and/or challenging rape culture.
Each session is an hour to and hour and a half. Programming for incoming students is done over the four days of move in-training 4000 incoming students using this model. Other students groups get a tailored program yearly.
Interns are recruited each spring for a year-long internship that runs from fall-spring. They receive academic credit for the internship, attend a weekly seminar and provide 60 hours of service per semester. In addition, the program has 2 Graduate Assistants and 2-3 Social Work interns per year.
For the incoming student program 24 student assistants are hired in spring to provide the training during the 4 days of moving. They go through a comprehensive training prior to providing the education to incoming students.
Additional materials include presentation shirts/jackets, giveaways (incentives to engage audience) and presentation materials.
Students: incoming students, fraternities, sororities, athletes, student leaders, student organizations and general student population
Research indicates that engaging participants in multiple ways, such as activities and exercises, increases participation and learning outcomes (Paul & Gray, 2011). In research on prevention education, programs with active learning opportunities are most effective (Nation et al., 2003).
According to the work of several researchers, such as White et al., 2009 and Kress et al., 2006, students report being more likely to pay attention to programming and more comfortable discussing sexual violence concerns in peer-led education compared to those facilitated by professionals.
Sexual violence has significant implications on a student being retained and academically successful while in college. According to Baker et al., an experience with sexual violence correlated with lower GPAs, less academic success, and a higher rate of dropping out of college (2016). Lack of academic success and/or failure to complete a degree also can have long-term consequences for an individual's career opportunities.
Banyard et al. found in their study that students who received bystander invention training reported using that knowledge even months after the program, and students who received multiple training had increased reported bystander intervention knowledge (2007).
Students participate in a pre and post-survey, using a Likert scale, at the time of the presentation. In areas of adhering to rape myths, victim blaming, understanding of sexual consent, specifically around coercion and incapacitation, and bystander intervention, there was significant improvement from pre to post-survey. In the qualitative section of the assessment, students report that after completing the program, they have an increased knowledge of the topics and are more likely to intervene in interpersonal violence situations. Programming is consistently updated based on student needs, societal trends, and state and federal mandates. Programs are reviewed yearly to keep them relevant to the student body.
Binghamton University
Making a commitment to train student facilitators. 20:1 has worked with administrators at SUNY Binghamton to make a strong commitment to finding credible student facilitators and giving them the resources and training they need to work effectively with their fellow students. Students are trained throughout an entire academic year before working as facilitators, and they receive internship credit at the college for their efforts. College administrators should consider developing similar policies to provide incentives for students to become facilitators, and to provide them with the resources and training they need to be effective.
Learning from participants. The development of 20:1 has been an ongoing collaboration between students and administrators at Binghamton. By listening to the feedback of the student body administrators have been able to respond to specific needs and desires of their community, thus generating buy in at all levels. As every campus is unique, establishing clear channels of communication for feedback is encouraged to ensure programs are relevant and responsive to their community and its needs.
Dara Raboy: raboy@binghamton.edu