Representative of its ongoing commitment to preventing sexual assault and ensuring the health and wellness of all of its students, Wittenberg hosted a three-part lecture series for community professionals on June 29 and June 30.

In partnership with Urbana University, Central State University and Project Woman, a Springfield organization dedicated to ending violence and sexual assault, Wittenberg welcomed Alan Berkowitz, a psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in higher education as a trainer, faculty member and counseling center director. He led three well-attended sessions on different risk prevention topics.

All of the sessions drew a diverse crowd of professionals from the community, including individuals with backgrounds in higher education, health care, government, athletics and law enforcement. At each session, participants were eager to immerse themselves in research Berkowitz presented about bystander behavior and ways to overcome a lack of intervention and prevention.

The sessions explored the building blocks needed to understand the issues, as well as the behavior of perpetrators and bystanders. With plenty of engagement from audience members, Berkowitz reviewed explanations for bystander behavior, backed by theoretical research and real world anecdotes. Participants were taught various intervention skills and engaged in role-playing to practice methods that are safe and effective.

For the past three years, Wittenberg has implemented a mandatory education and prevention program for all incoming students titled “Not Without Consent" (NWC), which takes place before the beginning of the fall semester as part of Wittenberg’s New Student Days. Additional training is offered at the beginning of the spring semester for new and transfer students.

NWC is a healthy relationship and bystander intervention program for incoming students at Wittenberg. The program was awarded the 2 Days in May Promising Practice Award from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Office in May.