A look into Ohio State’s anti-sexual violence programming

Credit: Marcy Paredes | Managing Editor for Design

When incoming freshmen complete the “U Got This!” module — Ohio State’s sexual violence education course for first-year students — before coming to campus, it may seem like just another thing on the to-do list. However, this course is one piece of the puzzle that makes up Ohio State’s sexual misconduct education.

According to Ohio State’s annual safety report, on-campus cases of rape increased by 16 from 2019 to 2020 — the most recent year for which data is available. Fondling cases increased by 22. 

Ohio State’s Office of Institutional Equity seeks to educate the Buckeye community about sexual violence prevention with a variety of online trainings.

“A primary piece of education that we use is our online sexual misconduct prevention,” Molly Peirano, director of education and engagement in the office, said. 

Peirano said all students are required to complete the “U Got This!” module before arriving on campus to give them base-level information on sexual misconduct prevention. She said there are also modules that faculty and staff are required to take, as well as educational sessions that campus organizations can schedule through the Student Wellness Center.

Peirano said the modules are designed to mimic real-world scenarios, preparing students in the event they encounter sexual misconduct in college.

 “We want it to be realistic so that people can actually see their own selves in the scenarios and know how they can apply the knowledge,” Peirano said.

When curating these virtual lessons, Peirano said a focus group of students provided feedback as to what offerings would be most helpful. She said the programming is meant to serve  a large group of students, faculty and staff.

Keesha Mitchell, associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity, said it is not only important that students are educated on sexual violence prevention, but also that they know where to go to report an incident.

“There are a lot of accommodations that we can make to help them and can connect them with counseling and other resources,” Mitchell said.

Peirano said every training module the university provides includes information on how to contact their office for more resources or if someone needs assistance. She said anyone who contacts her office can be anonymous, if requested.

Mitchell said reporting resources are meant to give students as much control over the process as possible. She said they are designed to give a voice to victims in cases of sexual assault.

Peirano said the university has added educational resources to the Ohio State app, including information on relationship concerns, sexual health and trauma.

“We’re trying to put information in different spaces so it’s beyond a one-time module,” Peirano said. “There’s more doses of information so that hopefully we can create culture shifts and stay on the tops of people’s minds with this information.”

For more information on sexual violence education, visit the Student Wellness website or the Ohio State app.