No Girl Left Behind, an all-female bystander intervention program put on by Public Safety, took place on Wednesday, Sept. 20 in Byrne Hall.

With its debut on campus in 2014, No Girl Left Behind has occurred annually to teach and review how to safely intervene in potentially dangerous situations. This program also teaches sexual assault awareness, understanding consent, healthy and unhealthy relationships along with body image.

In Byrne, there were tables set up as stations where different discussions and activities would take place. All of the young women in attendance were split up into small groups, and circulated the hall. One of the stations discussed situations that can cause stress, and the importance of self care. Senior, Shannon Gleespen says, “We are our first priority as human beings. We have to be able to take care of ourselves before we can worry about anything else.”

The next station regarded consent. Gleespen continues, “There is no way to be too straightforward. Yes means yes, and no means no. There should be no grey area.” This subject led into the topic of rape culture, and how we, as a society, try to avoid the discussion of uncomfortable topics. This program focused on the positive aspect of talking through our knowledge and experiences to make these more difficult topics easier to speak out about.

Later in the evening, the group reconvened, and some statistics were shown regarding sexual assault and violence. Some that stood out were: one in five women will be raped at some point during their life and 91% of sexual assault victims are female. However, 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault. Facilitators also shared their own stories and experiences, and showed videos about bystander intervention.

To report a sexual assault, contact a member of the SART Team by phone at 251-623-4309. The SART Team is also reachable via email (non-emergency use) at [email protected].