News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The United States Justice Department has awarded Tennessee Tech University with a $300,000 grant for an interpersonal violence program called Project Awaken.
The project aims to increase awareness and prevention of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
“Our goal is to increase awareness of these issues, promote advocacy for those affected, increase knowledge of the problem in our communities, empower survivors, and build an environment for nurturing that is focused on survivors, and those who serve and care for this population,” TTU School of Nursing Associate Professor Ann Hellman Hellman said.
“As we are seeing now in the press, it’s a very widespread issue,” Hellman said. “As a parent, it just makes me feel a lot better knowing that my university is taking proactive steps to educate the students on campus regarding situations that are undesirable and may put someone in danger.”
Hellman said an important part of the program is implementing social norming practices that make victims of interpersonal violence comfortable with coming forward to report instances and taking advantage of the available victim services.
If the program works, Hellman said it is likely that the reported number of such instances at Tech will increase. However, that won’t be because it is happening more, but because victims are empowered to report abuse and seek help.
With the grant funding, a project coordinator will be hired to oversee the implementation of mandatory prevention and education program for all incoming students, training for campus law enforcement and members of campus disciplinary boards, and an ongoing prevention program and bystander intervention program for the entire campus community.
The project team also has plans to work with Tennessee Tech’s iCube to develop a virtual reality simulation addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
