Prevention and Education

  1. Education 
    SKC requires all employees to take the following educational- training courses on an annual basis. Employees may be required to be recertified on demand. Failure to have a certification of this required training may result in appropriate disciplinary action. Additional in-person training is also offered periodically and on request.  
  2. Prevention
    1. Bystander Intervention
      1. If you witness a policy violation, or behaviors that may lead to a policy violation, there are a variety of things you can do as a bystander:
        • Divert the intended victim (e.g. “help me out of here; I don’t feel well”)
        • Distract the perpetrator (e.g. “looks like your car is being towed”)
        • Delegate to a person of authority (e.g. if at a nightclub let the bartender/bouncer know of the situation)
        • Direct, confront the perpetrator (e.g. “don’t speak to him/her in that manner; you are going to get yourself into trouble”)
    2. Risk Reduction Tips
      1. Risk reduction tips can often take a victim-blaming tone, even unintentionally. With no intention to blame victims, and with recognition that only those who commit sexual violence are responsible for those actions, these suggestions may nevertheless help you reduce your risk of experiencing a non-consensual sexual act.
        • Make your limits known as early as possible.
        • Be aware of your alcohol intake. Take affirmative responsibility for your alcohol intake/drug use and acknowledge that alcohol/drugs lower your sexual inhibitions and may make you vulnerable to someone who views a drunk or high person as a sexual opportunity.
        • Take care of your friends or colleagues and ask that they take care of you.
  3. Potential Aggressor
    1. If you find yourself in the position of being the initiator of sexual behavior, you owe sexual respect to your potential partner. These suggestions may help you reduce your risk for being accused of sexual misconduct:
      • Clearly communicate your intentions to your sexual partner and give them a chance to clearly relate their intentions to you. 
      • Understand and respect personal boundaries. 
      • DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS about consent; about someone’s sexual availability; about whether they are attracted to you; about how far you can go; or about whether they are physically and/or mentally able to consent. 
      • If there are any questions or ambiguity, then you DO NOT have consent.
    2. Mixed messages from your partner are a clear indication that you should stop, defuse any sexual tension and communicate better. You may be misreading them. You must respect the timeline for sexual behaviors with which they are comfortable.
      • Don’t take advantage of someone’s drunkenness or drugged state, even if they did it to themselves.
      • Realize that your potential partner could be intimidated by you, or fearful. You may have a power advantage simply because of your gender or size. 
      • Don’t abuse that power. Understand that consent to one form of sexual behavior does not automatically imply consent to other forms of sexual behavior. 
      • Silence and passivity cannot be interpreted as an indication of consent. 
      • Read your potential partner carefully, paying attention to verbal and non-verbal communication and body language.
Theme: Overlay by Kaira
Salish Kootenai College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Salish Kootenai College | PO Box 70 | 58138 US Highway 93 | Pablo, MT 59855 | 406.275.4800.