Sexual assault awareness events planned

Jackson Katz, nationally known educator and trainer on issues of masculinity and violence, will start off Sexual Assault Awareness Week this Sunday, April 9, with a talk entitled “More Than A Few Good Men: A Lecture on American Manhood and Violence Against Women.”

Related resource: Calendar of events

Katz’s free talk, one of a number of campus activities organized in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Week April 9-15, is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. in Great Hall of the Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. The event is co-sponsored by University Health Services, the UW-Madison Police Department and the Dean of Students Office.

Katz, a former all-star football player, has directed a worldwide gender violence prevention program for the U.S. Marine Corps since 1996. He is the founder and director of MVP Strategies, a multi-racial, mixed-gender program that enlists high school, collegiate and professional athletes in the fight against all forms of men’s violence against women.

Katz is the co-creator of the video “Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity,” which will be shown Monday, April 10, at 7 p.m. in Room 103 of the Psychology Building, 1202 W. Johnson St.

According to Katz, studies have shown that one in 12 male college students has committed acts that meet the legal definition of rape, and that battery by men is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States.

Assistant Dean of Students Yolanda Garza says 11 sexual assaults have been reported to her office since Jan. 31, more than usual for a two-month period.

In 1999, a total of 33 cases were reported to Garza, all by female students. Twenty-four of them knew their assailants, and 25 of the cases involved the use of alcohol or other drugs by at least one individual. Three of the alleged assaults occurred on campus, 27 in close proximity to campus, and three at some distance from UW–Madison.

“Most of these assaults occurred in places where the survivors felt safe, such as an apartment,” Garza says, “not out on the street.” Nationwide, 84 percent of sexual assaults are committed by assailants who are at least somewhat acquainted with their victims.

Also during the week, many campus offices will display pots of flowers to demonstrate intolerance for sexual violence and support for survivors. The theme of the flower pot project is “Growing A Healthy Future.” Flower pots, along with yard signs, will be placed on the bottom third of Bascom Hill.

Students, faculty and staff have been participating in the Clothesline Project. People who have been sexually assaulted or affected by sexual assault paint or decorate tee shirts to express their experiences. The shirts will be displayed on clotheslines in campus-area coffee shops next week.

Other activities are planned:

• A video on domestic violence in the Jewish community will be shown Tuesday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. at Hillel Foundation, 611 Langdon St.,
• Men Stopping Rape will hold a new member meeting and a forum on “Male Sexuality and Its Discontents” Wednesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union. For more information, call (608) 257-4444.
• A candlelight vigil, organized by the staff at Elizabeth Waters Hall, is planned Wednesday, April 12, starting at 9 p.m. at the Memorial Union Terrace and moving down the Lakeshore Path. Participants are asked to bring their own candles if possible. For more information, call (608) 262-0444.
• A mock trial on sexual assault issues will be held Thursday, April 13, from 7-9 p.m. in Room 3250, Law School. Information: (608) 256-8361.