This week we are focusing on bystander intervention. According to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), “[e]veryone has a role to play in preventing sexual assault and there are many different ways you can step up to make a difference, notably through bystander intervention. An active bystander is someone who interrupts a potentially harmful situation, especially when it comes to sexual violence. They may not be directly involved but they do have the choice and opportunity to speak up and intervene.”

This Thursday and Friday, April 11 and 12, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., join Prairie Center Against Sexual Assault (PCASA) in A. Lincoln Commons to learn how you can be an active bystander.

Stay tuned for additional Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming.

• Week of April 15 – Sexual Harassment Prevention
• Week of April 22 – Supporting Sexual Assault Survivors

Additional information and resources on sexual assault are available on LLCC’s website. You may also email Leslie Johnson, interim compliance and prevention coordinator or call 217-786-2848.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. One out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation.

During the month of April, LLCC offer opportunities to increase campus awareness about sexual assault and what each of us can do to change the statistics. Join us this week to learn about consent.

April 2 and 5 – from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., join Prairie Center Against Sexual Assault, PCASA, in A. Lincoln Commons to increase your awareness about consent.

April 5 – Help us Turn the Campus Teal. Teal signifies support for sexual assault survivors. We encourage you to wear teal this day. Please sign up to volunteer to place teal ribbons on campus.

Stay tuned for additional Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming:

Week of April 8 – Bystander Intervention
Week of April 15 – Sexual Harassment Prevention
Week of April 22 – Supporting Sexual Assault Survivors

Additional information and resources concerning sexual assault are available on LLCC’s website. You may also contact Leslie Johnson, interim compliance and prevention coordinator at leslie.johnson@llcc.edu or 217-786-2848.

Thank you to everyone who has helped bring awareness to Stalking through reading infographics, watching videos, identifying behaviors as sweet or stalker and participating in the first ever Day of Action for Stalking Awareness —#SparkleAgainstStalking.

To wrap up Stalking Awareness Month, we are hosting a Stalking Awareness Song Quiz today from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons. Stop by to test your knowledge about which songs promote behaviors that could be considered stalking.

If you have any questions about stalking, need additional information about available resources or to make a stalking report, you may contact Leslie Johnson, interim compliance and prevention coordinator, at 217-786-2848 or leslie.johnson@llcc.edu.

January 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of National Stalking Awareness Month.

Stalking, Prevention, Awareness.

The Stalking, Prevention, Awareness and Resource Center (SPARC) reminds us that 92% of college age stalking survivors who seek help will seek help from family and/or friends.  Watch this video to learn about the importance of Context.

To help you help those who are surviving, we share these tips from SPARC;

• Believe and validate victims.
• Focus on the offender’s actions, not the victim’s responses.
• Support the victim and encourage them to seek help and document the stalking.
• Respect the victim’s privacy.
• Refer them to resources to make an individual safety plan and learn more about stalking.
• Check in with them and be a source of support.

For additional details on supporting loved ones who are stalking survivors, check out the resources on the SPARC website. Please continue to Know It. Name It. Stop It. throughout the entire year, not just in January.

January 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of National Stalking Awareness Month.

This short video from Stalking, Prevention, Awareness and Resource Center (SPARC) reminds us of the behaviors which constitute stalking and reminds us that stalking is not romantic, it is frightening, invasive and can be dangerous. While the word “stalking” is tossed around casually, stalking is serious and a crime.

Know It. Name It. Stop It.

Join us for our “Sweet or Stalker?” event Friday, Jan. 26. from 9:30 a.m. to noon in A. Lincoln Commons.

If you have any questions about stalking, need additional information about available resources or to make a stalking report, you may contact Leslie Johnson, interim compliance and prevention coordinator, at 217-786-2848 or leslie.johnson@llcc.edu.

This January marks the 20th annual National Stalking Awareness Month.

Thursday, Jan. 18 is the first Day of Action for Stalking Awareness. Join us by wearing anything with sparkles so we can #SparkleAgainstStalking

Also, check out this infographic which highlights facts about stalking on college campuses:

During the month, we will share information on stalking so we can: Know It. Name It. Stop it.

If you have any questions about stalking, need additional information about available resources or to make a stalking report, you may contact Leslie Johnson, interim compliance and prevention coordinator, at 217-786-2848 or leslie.johnson@llcc.edu.

Even though Domestic Violence Awareness Month is ending, you can still continue to provide support.

• Keep your purple ribbon as a reminder that there’s no place for domestic violence in the homes, neighborhoods, workplaces or schools of its citizens. dvawareness.org
• Keep your pledge to end domestic violence.
• Keep wearing your purple to show your support for those who are currently experiencing or have experienced domestic violence.
• Keep supporting survivors and Sojourn Shelter Services & Inc. The Sojourn Shelter Services & Inc. Facebook page lists different ways to offer support.

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., visit the Silent Witness display hosted by Sojourn Shelters & Services Inc. in A. Lincoln Commons. This powerful display honors those whose lives ended prematurely due to domestic violence.

Sojourn Shelter Services & Inc. provides more than shelter to those who are experiencing domestic violence. They also provide a 24-hour hotline, one-on-one and group counseling for those impacted by domestic violence as well as court advocacy. They need donations of shampoo, conditioner, soap, dental products and razors for those staying in their shelter. Donations can be dropped off in LLCC Student Life, Student Success or any Outreach Center.