University of Toledo receives grant from the department of justice to address sexual assault

The University of Toledo Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness received a $299,202 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to boost efforts at preventing and addressing sexual assault victimization on UT’s campus.

This grant was applied for by Kasey Tucker-Gail, associate professor of criminal justice and director of the Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness, and Megan Stewart, assistant professor of criminal justice and the program coordinator for the project.

“We plan to use the money to create a community response team on campus to address issues of victimization,” Tucker-Gail said. “For our purposes, the Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness represents UT as a leader in addressing these national issues. The Center will focus on providing the needs for victims on campus.”

The response team, including the UT and Toledo Police Departments, YWCA Hope Center and expanded community partners, will work to develop prevention, education, and intervention policies and practices for sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 37.4% of college-aged women 18-24 years old will experience a sexual assault, and women in general have a 1 in 5 chance of being sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

“We want to make the University of Toledo an example of how to deal with campus victimization by being at the forefront of education, intervention, prevention and advocacy,” Tucker-Gail said. “We use the slogan ‘Victims First: Building a Community Where Education, Advocacy, and Research Intersect.”

The Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness signed agreements with the Hope Center, Toledo Police Department, University of Toledo Police Department, and the UT Counseling Center. Representatives from all these groups will be required to travel for training multiple times over the next three years.

“The grant also provides funds to train various individuals such as UTPD, the counseling center and the disciplinary board on issues of sexual violence, as well as on dealing with special populations (e.g. LGBTQ),” Stewart said. “Other items funded would include money for bystander intervention training, sexual assault awareness activities on campus, and a part-time sexual assault advocate to dedicate 100% of their time to the UT campus.”

Stewart explains that victims often do not report victimizations, and college students typically are afraid of their parents finding out and removing them from college.

Additionally, most college students who are victims experience their victimizations off campus.

“It is our intention that our students get the help and resources they need, whether on campus or off. This response team helps open communication, and makes sure we all stay up to date on the best practices for working with victims.” Stewart said.