College can be a fun and exciting new experience for incoming students (including first-years, transfers, and graduate students!), but it can also come with some challenges. Safer is here to answer questions and provide support during this time of transition. In order to help your move into this new environment, here are some commonly asked questions regarding topics Safer addresses:
What exactly is considered (sexual assault/stalking/domestic violence)?
- Sexual Assault is broader in definition than rape. Any nonconsensual sexual act, such as touching or kissing, can be considered sexual assault.
- Central to understanding sexual assault is understanding consent. Affirmative consent is a freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic, specific, and ongoing decision among all participants to engage in any sexual activity.
- Stalking is a repeated pattern or course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a person to feel fear.
- Intimate Partner Violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another partner.
Is sexual assault actually a problem here? Does it happen more often at Cal Poly than at other universities?
Sexual assault at Cal Poly is no more prevalent than at any other university. Statistics show that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will be sexually assaulted while in college (National Sexual Violence Resource Center). Sexual assault or rape can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, ability, sexual orientation, economic status, or gender identity. Safer exists to provide resources for those who do experience any type of sexual violence, as well as promote campus-wide education on these topics.
How can I reach Safer?
Email: safer@calpoly.edu
Phone: 805-756-2282
For individual staff contacts, click here.
To schedule a meeting with an advocate, click here.
For more campus, community & national resources, click here.
How can I get involved with Safer?
Coercion is defined as pressuring, manipulating, or persuading someone to do something they don’t want to do. This may or may not include threats or force.
There are many ways to get involved in this movement, based on your emotional capacity, energy levels, privilege to leverage, etc. Everyone has a place in prevention - here are some ideas to get you started.
What is Title IX?
Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded educational institutions. Title IX protects all people, regardless of their gender or gender identity, from sex discrimination, which includes sexual harassment and violence. Individuals that experience this violence have the choice to report to the Title IX office and begin an investigation. To learn more about the Title IX process and your rights as a student, click here.
What is the Clery Act?
The Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges to report crimes that occur “on campus” and school safety policies. The Clery Act also requires schools to evaluate if there is a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community to determine if a timely warning needs to be issued to all staff and students. Each year, Cal Poly issues an Annual Security Report. Incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking are included under the Clery Act. To learn more about the Clery Act and view Annual Security Reports, visit here.
Where can I find more information about general safety at Cal Poly?
The Cal Poly Police Department offers several services to ensure campus safety, including:
