The University of Toledo Title IX Office is promoting Sexual Assault Awareness Month during the month of April by hosting both virtual and in-person events.
The Title IX Team set up red flags in Centennial Mall on March 31 spelling out the number 4,027, which stands for the number of Toledo Police Department reports of domestic violence filed last year that involved intimate partner violence (felonious assaults, domestic violence and domestic violence threats).
“We put these flags in a high-traffic area such as Centennial Mall to encourage folks to stop and reflect on the issue of intimate partner violence or start the conversation about it with their peers,” said Lindsay Tuttle, sexual misconduct prevention education coordinator for Title IX.
“It is important to continue to have a conversation of what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like. Ultimately, we want to encourage people to reinforce their commitment to safety and have a discussion when you see a red flag in a friend’s relationship.”
The Red Flag Campaign is rooted in using bystander intervention strategy to bring attention to and addressing dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault. The Red Flag Campaign website states, “the campaign encourages friends and other campus community members to say something when they see warning signs (“red flags”) for sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking a friend’s relationship.”
It is the goal of the campaign to educate and to start a conversation with faculty, staff and students about healthy and unhealthy relationships.
The Title IX Office also is hosting events virtually and in-person during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, including the art installation “What Were You Wearing?” which features a collection of survivors’ stories and recreations of the outfits they were wearing at the time of their assaults.
The exhibit runs 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Monday, April 11, through Thursday, April 14, in Carlson Library Room 1005.
There will be an opening virtual reception featuring remarks from campus senior leadership about the exhibit, beginning at 10 a.m. April 11. To RSVP to the kickoff or for more information about the event, visit the “What Were You Wearing?” Invonet website.
And for a list of scheduled events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, visit the Title IX Office website.
The University of Toledo wants students, faculty, and staff to know our services are available should they be impacted by sexual misconduct.
The Title IX Office can be reached at titleix@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4191. Additional information can be found at the Title IX Office website.
