Sexual Assault Prevention

Prevention & Awareness Training

As part of Hamilton’s continued commitment to the safety and wellness of the community, multiple sexual assault prevention and awareness training opportunities are available to students and employees. To learn more and/or schedule a training, please contact Catherine Berryman.

Student Training

1. Title IX Fundamentals

• 30-minute training on the basics of the Hamilton Sexual Misconduct Policy & resources available for on- and off-campus support. Required annually of all student leaders and athletes recognized by the College.

2. Title IX Policy & Procedure

• 60-minute in-depth training on the formal complaint (investigation) procedures outlined in the Hamilton Sexual Misconduct Policy. Optional for all community members.

3. Leading Change Through Peer Conversations
   • 90-minute facilitated discussion about creating a respectful and healthy student culture. Required annually of all athletes and RAs, optional for all students.
4. Yes Means Yes
   • 6 week, 2-hour dinner discussion group about positive sexuality and sexual health, using the book Yes Means Yes by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti. Optional for all students. 
5. Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates (SAPU)
   • 60-minute online training program, required of all incoming students.

Employee Training 

1. Employee Title IX Fundamentals
   • 30-minute training on the basics of the Hamilton Sexual Misconduct Policy and Workplace Sexual Harassment Supplemental Policy. Required of all new employees, presented annually at Faculty and Staff assemblies.
2. Harassment & Discrimination Prevention
   • 50- 90 minute online course about harassment and discrimination prevention, policy, and procedure required annually for all employees.
3. Title IX Policy & Procedure

• 60-minute in-depth training on the formal complaint (investigation) procedures outlined in the Hamilton Sexual Misconduct Policy. Optional for all community members.

Sexual Assaults on College Campuses

The most prevalent form of sexual assault on college campuses is assault perpetrated by a date or friend, or someone the survivor knows only casually, from a residence hall, a class, or through mutual friends. Regardless of the relationship, if one person uses force to coerce another into submitting to sexual behaviors, or if the other party does not give consent, the act violates Hamilton College policy. Criminal laws and penalties also may apply in cases of sexual assault.

Many sexual assaults involving college students follow similar patterns. Sexual assault often occurs at parties or in residential settings. Frequently, the students involved in these assaults have been drinking heavily or using drugs. Detailed crime reports and prevention information can be obtained from the Title IX Coordinator and/or Office of Campus Safety. As a community, we can work together to protect students from sexual violence and encourage peers to respect one another.

Prevention

There are things that all members of the Hamilton Community can do to reduce the rate of sexual violence on campus. As a Hamilton student, please be aware of the following suggestions:

• When you go out, do so with people that you trust to look out for your safety and the safety of others. Be a good friend—keep an eye on your friends to make sure they are safe and hold your friends responsible for treating others with respect.
• If you want to be intimate with someone, remember to get that person’s consent and communicate your boundaries actively. You and the other person(s) have the right to withdraw consent at any time, when consent is withdrawn all sexual activity must stop. 
• Since alcohol and drugs interfere with effective communication, avoid excessive use of these substances. It may not be safe to be intimate with someone if you or they have been drinking or using other substances.
• When you are at a party, make sure that someone knows where you are. Check on your friends to make sure they are safe too.
• Get your own drinks. Only accept beverages from people you trust and never drink out of a vessel that has been left unattended.
• Make sure you understand and respect your partner(s)’s desires and limits. Know your sexual desires and limits and choose a partner or partners who respect them.
• Try to avoid walking home alone from bars or parties. Have a friend walk with you, call Campus Safety at 315-859-4141 for an escort, or let the Events Staff know that you need an escort. If you see someone walking alone at night, make sure they are safe; call Campus Safety if you are concerned for them.
• Lock your residence hall room door. Do not let people you have not invited over into residence hall buildings.
• If you find yourself locked out of your residence hall, call Campus Safety to let you in.
• If you do not feel well and need to lie down, make sure that a friend stays with you to check on you. If you see someone who is sick or unconscious, make sure they are safe and call the EMTs through Campus Safety’s emergency number at 315-859-4000.
• If you find yourself alone or in an unfamiliar place, be aware of your surroundings. Call Campus Safety (emergency: 315-859-4000), nonemergency: (315-859-4141) if you feel unsafe. Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings for any reason, you have the right to leave.
• Communicate clearly and honestly with your sexual partner(s) and respect their boundaries.