AU’s Men of Strength, a proactive club against sexual assault and violence, launched a bystander intervention program Jan. 31 with George Washington University, Georgetown University and three local high schools.
The program “Where Do You Stand?” is an effort to reduce sexual violence, according to School of International Service graduate student and group member Conor Shapiro.
AU had the largest university presence at a Jan. 31 D.C. meeting of Men Can Stop Rape, said Men of Strength member and School of Public Affairs senior Nate Bronstein.
Men of Strength currently have 15 members and is one of many campus Men of Strength groups nationwide affiliated with the nonprofit organization Men Can Stop Rape.
The nonprofit funds the club chapters, trains members and provides materials, according to group member Philip Scranage, a sophomore in the SPA.
The “Where Do You Stand?” program is an expansion of the group’s work against violence, Bronstein said.
The program will teach college men how to intervene in potentially violent situations. It will also raise awareness of men’s ability to prevent violence against women through skits and group discussions, according to Bronstein.
SPA sophomore Seth Yates and other D.C. students acted out a scenario at the launch event about an intoxicated girl and a clearly sober man moving in on her at a club.
Men of Strength will hold related workshops and training sessions during meetings to spread Men Can Stop Rape’s initiative at AU.
“(It’s) a more intensive training and awareness campaign to create a culture of looking out for one another and knowing what to intervene on and how to intervene,” Bronstein said.
Sexual Assault Prevention Coordinator Daniel Rappaport said Men of Strength was created as a result of Men Can Stop Rape.
“Without help from a few individuals from MCSR coming out and helping with the group each week, the group would likely not be as strong as it is today,” Rappaport said.
Rappaport said he will facilitate Men of Strength meetings this semester. These meetings include training, workshops and discussions about preventing violence and challenging ideas of masculinity and sexual assault.
Yates said he joined Men of Strength at its first meeting in early September because he believed in their message.
“I think the major goal is to change the ideas of traditional masculinity that encourage men to pursue women as trophies and normalize rape,” Yates said. “I think the goal is to convince men that just saying, ‘I think it’s wrong and I don’t do it,’ isn’t enough.”
Men of Strength plans to demonstrate that men can actively increase the safety of AU’s campus, Shapiro said.
“If we prevent even one assault, I feel like my time invested was valuable,” he said.
The club will reach out to AU students through a media campaign for the bystander intervention program, according to Rappaport.
“This semester we hope to continue taking on new members to the club while also working to have a more visible presence on campus,” Rappaport said.
Yates is featured in one of the ads for Men Can Stop Rape’s national media campaign, which will be posted around campus to inform members of the AU community about the club and its new program.
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