To better reflect the mission of the program, the Sexual Assault Peer Advocate program — formerly Sexual Assault Peer Advisors — has changed its name and is now running training courses only during the fall and spring terms, survivor advocate Ben Bradley said.
Previously, SAPA training was not run on a regular basis. This winter term, a training session was also offered to rejuvenate the program, Bradley said. Last term, 12 students graduated from the SAPA training program, and this term 16 more are set to complete training, which will wrap up on June 2.
The training lasts an entire term and follows a regular class schedule, meeting during the 2A period. The SAPAs gain a deep understanding of sexual assault, sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking during their training, he said.
Bradley described the curriculum as including defining terms related to sexual assault, understanding the effects of sexual assault on survivors, the nature of the trauma of the experiences and how that relates to experiences as a Dartmouth student, a general college student or simply as a person. The course also covers perpetrator behavior, including how to identify it and the motivators behind such behavior.
Recently, the training program has come to focus more on identity, especially how one’s social identity affects his or her experience as a survivor, Bradley said. This can include differences in access to services, differences in comfort levels when seeking support and the best ways with which a SAPA can advise a range of different experiences, he said.
“We spend a lot of time practicing, placing ourselves in different scenarios, working with survivors of all different experiences,” Bradley said. “I really try to emphasize a lot of real-world experience and understanding so our SAPAs walk away feeling empowered themselves and feeling comfortable.”
A major focus of SAPA training involves interpersonal skills, he added, such as how to support survivors, what language to use, how to refer survivors to other resources and how to be a resource yourself.
Bradley facilitates the training, but also hosts guest speakers from various resources across campus to describe their expertise over a variety of different issues.
The primary focus, skills and goals of SAPA training have remained largely consistent, Bradley said, and the increased emphasis on survivor identity has evolved along with the national dialogue.
As a result, more focus is being given to survivors who are male, trans, people of color or members of the LGBT community, Bradley said, which comes with the understanding that sexual violence happens to everyone.
“Those groups have been silenced a lot of the time,” Bradley said. “And they have additional or different barriers to gain support.”
Bradley emphasized that when he developed the curriculum, he hoped to create a comprehensive experience for those undergoing training and added that the term-long training results in students becoming especially knowledgeable.
The increase in students who participate in SAPA training is encouraging, Bradley said, as he believes that reflects more students recognizing the value of the program. He said he hopes SAPAs will become a more cohesive group on campus, and will gain recognition as important, valuable resources to students.
Title IX coordinator and Clery Act compliance officer Heather Lindkvist said that SAPAs provided initial support, education and information for students on campus about further resources related to sexual misconduct, as well as valuable sources of training and outreach on campus.
Lindkvist said that Bradley’s work upon his arrival on campus last August “revitalized” the SAPA program and that he created an intensive and comprehensive program for SAPAs.
“His involvement in the program has been fundamental to any shift that has been going on with the SAPAs,” she said. “And the outreach that he has been doing with [sexual assault awareness program coordinator] Amanda Childress to reinforce the importance of SAPAs on campus has been instrumental, too, to the shifting of attention to the program.”
Having students in this role can be important for times when students feel more comfortable speaking to other students, Lindkvist said. The advisor can be a valuable gateway for connecting a student affected by sexual misconduct with the proper resources for taking the next steps, she added. SAPAs are trained to provide information to students about confidential and private resources on campus.
Megan Mounts ’18, who is poised to complete SAPA training this term, said she decided to become a SAPA because she saw sexual assault as an issue that extended beyond campus and into her community. SAPA training focuses on lots of “paths” to help survivors cope with their experiences, Mounts said.
Mounts emphasized the importance of listening skills to the SAPA program, and she said the most influential and powerful part of her training has been practicing real-life scenario, because it taught her the potential difference she could make in her role.
“SAPA training isn’t about telling someone who’s experienced sexual assault what they should do, how they should go about it, how they should deal with it,” she said. “We’re peer resources, just to talk.”
