Uppers Discuss Sexual Misconduct Prevention
Uppers gathered for required workshop “Being a Bystander” on Jan. 10. At the event, which was organized by Director of Student Well-Being Christina Palmer, students discussed in small groups appropriate courses of action when witnessing cases of sexual and relationship violence.
Now in its third year, the workshop preserved its format from last year after Exonians Against Sexual Assault (EASA) reworked its structure in conjunction with the Health Department and the Prevention Innovation Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. This resulted in an emphasis on student-led discussions, and no faculty members were present.
The workshop focused on “being a bystander, knowing that you can help by learning to recognize the signs of when someone is in trouble and stepping in to assist in ways that impact a positive outcome,” Palmer said. “This workshop reviewed with students the definition of a bystander, touched on the scope of sexual and relationship violence, recognizing situations and understanding the Academy culture. We used practice scenarios and reviewed resources available.”
“The workshop is part of a series of preventative work that the Academy is committed to for all students to understand consent, healthy relationships, being a bystander and dating violence,” Palmer added.
To prepare for the event, Palmer trained student volunteer leaders beforehand, acquainting them with a set of scripts. At the workshop, the leaders engaged students in the conversation, steering the discussion toward the right direction when necessary. Students reacted to practice scenarios and discussed available resources.
Some expressed satisfaction with the student-led discussion. “I thought it was cool that students led it instead of teachers,” upper Keara Polovick said. “I think people are more open to discussing personal experiences when surrounded by students, especially because we were focused on bystanders in cases of sexual assault—something that is often difficult to talk about with adults.”
However, others believed that student leadership was not fitting for such an important topic. “Letting students lead the program was good in theory, but it ultimately led to people getting off-topic easily or not focusing or not contributing,” upper Zoe Barron said. “I think the discussion should be student-led but with a faculty advisor or facilitator if we really want to carry out productive discussions.”
Polovick noted these shortcomings as well. “In some sense, it was more informal and maybe not as productive,” she said. “But, again, I think that people were more open to sharing their raw feelings [with other students] because some of these topics are sensitive.”
The groups were separated by last name; some uppers wished for more diversity within their groups. “If there was a more randomized way … would’ve been nice,” upper Christina Xiao said. “For a lot of all upper required events, we’ve already been with people in our same last name sections.”
The timing of the event also received some criticism. “Friday night is not the best time,” upper Emilio Abelmann said. “In all honesty, I think there should be a whole day dedicated to the topic and its nuances—similar to Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Climate Action Day.”
Students felt that the timing was not conducive to attentiveness. “Students seemed, for the most part, uninterested in being there because it was on Friday night,” Barron said. “I think the discussion could have been much more productive if it was during a school day because students would be more engaged and less irritated.”
Upper Sofina Tillman noted that the presentation seemed “rushed and last minute.” “They had multiple typos in the manual sheet. You could tell they repeated questions from previous years,” she said. “I talked to the moderators—one said they just gave out a packet and there wasn’t a lot of preparation.”
However, the repetition of information from previous years was intentional, as prevention work can be effective when it is repetitive, which isn’t just “one and done,” Palmer said.
Many suggested that the program be open to the rest of the campus in the future. “I’ve heard it is most necessary for uppers, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary for other classes,” Barron said.
Pollovick shared a similar belief. “I wasn’t sure why it was just for uppers because I think that anyone should have knowledge of … the roles of bystanders,” she said. “I definitely think it could have been open to more people.”
Palmer noted that plans for more consistent training are already in place. “Next year, health classes will be required at all grade levels, and bringing in the bystander is part of the upper curriculum,” she said. “Prevention work can be effective when it is repetitive—not ‘one and done.’”
Overall, students appreciated the workshop experience. “I definitely learned a bit more about being a bystander and what that means,” upper Isabel Carden said. “[We talked] about the role of a bystander and how you can be active or passive.”