Skip Navigation
Search
Office of Equity and Access
HomeNews & EventsNews & EventsDVAM - 10.06.23

Sent to All Students, Faculty & Staff - October 6, 2023

NDEAM 2023 Logo Advanicng Access & Equity

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

In the United States, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience sexual or interpersonal violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (CDC, 2017).

Domestic violence can happen to anyone.

Purple Thursday

Wear purple on October 19th

Help raise awareness and show support for survivors of domestic violence.

DVAM Events

Sponsored by the Centers for Prevention and Outreach

Decorative Domestic Violence Awareness Month Calendar

Calendar of Events

SBU Domestic Violence Agency Liaison

Cathrine Duffy, Healthier U

You are not alone. Talk to someone who gets it.

83% of survivors report that their partner disrupted their employment or caused them to lose out on better employment opportunities.

  • Provide internal and community resources and referrals
  • Develop a workplace safety plan
  • Provide emotional support

cathrine.duffy@stonybrook.edu - 631.632.2944

Resources

Report An Incident

Access Medical Care

Find Support Services

Looking Back At 6 Years of ReportIt

Whether you are a student or an employee, you have probably heard “ReportIt.” You may have seen a poster. You definitely should have taken the online training. You may have attended one of our in-person programs.  You might even have been to our website.  

ReportIt is an awareness campaign started by the Office of Equity and Access (OEA) (then the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity) - six years ago this month - in October 2017 with a website.  

The impetus behind that website - www.stonybrook.edu/reportit - was twofold. First, OEA wanted to create a system of reporting that was easy to find and access. Second, we wanted people to be able to report, discreetly if needed, in a place, time, and manner of their choosing where they felt comfortable and safe.  It also provides a quick reference point for users to identify other options and resources.

The ReportIt campaign aims to communicate to members of the University community that Stony Brook University wants everyone who experiences sexual misconduct to “Report It” and that OEA will take those allegations seriously and address them equitably.  

Following the launch of the ReportIt website, OEA started brainstorming on other means to promote the message and encourage reporting.  At that time, Stony Brook University licensed a vendor-produced program to provide sexual misconduct awareness and prevention training. OEA decided that a customized program designed for Stony Brook University, focused on Stony Brook University policies and procedures, would better serve our campus community and allow OEA to highlight these priorities.   

In 2018, Sexual Harassment training had been common in the US for over 25 years, and at that time, the effectiveness of much of the training done in the past was being debated. Research cited in the New York Times in 2017 found that while the “training succeeds in teaching people basic information, like the definition of harassment and how to report violations,” training that focused on teaching behavior “reinforced gender stereotypes” and was less effective. Another criticism of traditional sexual harassment training was that it prioritized protecting the institution from liability rather than impacting the culture.  

More recently, in 2020, Harvard Business Review conducted a study of the effectiveness of traditional sexual harassment programs and similarly found that training that “focuses on forbidden behaviors” was not effective; these programs focus on men as aggressors and “the nitty-gritty, which signals that men don’t know where the line is.”  

This “forbidden behavior” type of training implies that individuals who engage in sexual harassment need to be taught not to engage in this type of behavior as if they do not know that it is wrong. It also tells the user that largely females are victims and males are aggressors. According to HBR, this type of approach is generally ineffective and can lead to defensiveness on the participant's part.  

ReportIt: Ending Sexual Misconduct was designed differently. It took from traditional training the importance of ensuring students, faculty and staff are aware of the basics: of Stony Brook University’s expectations for behavior and then what and where to report. After all, the program is called ReportIt!

Unlike traditional training however, ReportIt not only ensures participants know how to report, it focuses on encouraging reporting, and making sure participants understand and become comfortable with what they can expect once they report. We wanted to communicate to everyone that Stony Brook University would not tolerate sexual misconduct, that encouraged individuals to come forward and provided confidence to the campus community that reported allegations would be taken seriously and addressed equitably.  

ReportIt also emphasizes the discriminatory nature of sexual harassment and violence, and eliminates the use of sex or gender based stereotypes. This ensures that all members of our community understand that these policies protect everyone at Stony Brook University regardless of sex, gender, sexual preference or gender identity and that OEA wants every member of the University community to report.  

Other important programmatic elements are highlighted that have proven to be more effective than focusing on “forbidden behavior.” For example:

ReportIt underscores positive steps all members of the University can take, other than reporting, to impact and prevent sexual harassment or violence.  

  • The student program outlines the basics of Bystander Intervention and creating Healthy Relationships. 
  • The Responsible Employee section guides supervisors, managers, faculty and other individuals in the University community through the process of assisting another individual who has experienced an incident.  
  • All versions of ReportIt encourage campus environments that are respectful and where everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

 In the five years that students, faculty and staff have been participating in ReportIt we have learned a lot – a lot about how to create, manage and distribute an effective training program. We have also seen a steady increase in reported cases of sexual misconduct - both sexual harassment and sexual violence. We have observed increased reporting in periods immediately following times when the ReportIt website or training programs are advertised or assigned. We consider this to be a success. This may seem counterintuitive, but according to HBR, increased reporting is one of the metrics the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says can demonstrate that programs like ReportIt are working, because reports go up when people have confidence in the system.  

Where does ReportIt go from here? OEA is always working to expand, tailor and improve our training and awareness efforts. We review ReportIt on an annual basis in an effort to ensure it continues to improve and provide current information. For 2023, we are focused on expanding the in person options.  

Federal regulations are expected to be issued later this fall from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). We anticipate that some changes to training requirements might impact ReportIt. Regardless of the impact, the Office of Equity and Access is committed to a safe and accessible non-discriminatory Stony Brook University experience for all students and members of the University community .

If you have any suggestions on how ReportIt could be more effective, please feel free to email them to oea_training@stonybrook.edu. 

Participate in Report It Today!

  • All employees are required to participate annually.
  • Onboarding students
  • Student Leaders
  • Student Athletes
  • Anyone interested in learning more!
For Faculty & Staff

RELEVANT SBU POLICIES

News & Events
News & Events