Amherst College

Peer Advocate of Sexual

Respect

Application 2012

Due Monday October 12, 2012

Amherst College Peer Advocate Program Application 2012

Description

The Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect are an on-campus group of students who have been trained by the Sexual Harassment Educators to support those who have encountered any form of sexual mistreatment and to educate the Amherst College Community on issues of sexual violence. Peer Advocates are trained to counsel and to refer individuals in various situations of sexual misconduct and to appropriate on and off campus resources. In addition, they sponsor various awareness activities and educational programs to help prevent future incidents of sexual violence. The Peer Advocates are a confidential group of men and women who are trained listeners and skilled in assisting students to make appropriate decisions based on their situation.

Responsibilities

  1. Your initial responsibility will be your presence at the January Interterm Training. This time will be used to train all new Peer Advocates on issues of sexual harassment, assault, and relationship violence. The training is tentatively scheduled for the third week of interterm (we’ll determine these dates later). The trainings will be from 9:00-5:00 with a minimum of 2 evening trainings.
  2. You will be expected to attend weekly Peer Advocate meetings that will be on Monday evenings 7:00-9:00. Please plan accordingly.
  3. You will be asked to assume on-call status 2 times per semester. Being on call consists of carrying the PA cell phone, checking the PA email account, and responding to it 24 hours a day for 1 week.
  4. As a Peer Advocate, you are required to report any and all cases (even in the abstract, in cases of confidentiality) to the program supervisor, Gretchen Krull.
  5. You will be asked to participate in First-Year Orientation as Squad Leaders.
  6. Peer Advocates are expected to chair/coordinate one project per semester and be involved in at least two of these projects. Projects may include: Healthy Relationships Week; Peer Advocate Handbook revisions; Workshops on healthy relationships, consent; breaking up; long distance relationships, and friend of survivors; Purple and White Ribbon projects; Clothesline Project, etc.

To assure that you understand and can comply with these responsibilities and guidelines, to the best of your knowledge, please print and sign your name and enter the date below.

Print Name______Date: ______

Signature: ______

Amherst College Peer Advocate Program Application

(PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY)

NAME: ______

BOX: ______

PHONE: ______

Please return this application and a recommendation from a peer who can speak to your ability to be a counselor and educator for sexual respect issues.

Submit to :
Keefe Health Center Front Desk OR Gretchen Krull at AC # 2246. For an electronic copy email:

Submit NO LATER THAN Monday, October 16, 2012

After you return this application, please make sure to sign up for an interview at the Front desk of the Health Center. Interviews will be conducted in October.
Feel free to use additional paper if necessary.
  1. Why are you interested in becoming a Peer Advocate?
  1. What do you imagine will be most challenging for you personally if you are chosen to be a PA?
  1. What do you think will be most rewarding about working as a PA?
  1. Historically, PAs have addressed consent, sexual disrespect, harassment, and relationship violence, what ideas to you have for addressing these or other issues?
  1. As a sexual respect educator, what areas are you most interested in educating about? Do you have specific ideas for education or awareness projects (speakers, handouts, policies, workshops, etc)?
  1. What do you feel you can individually do to address issues of sexual respect on campus?
  1. What factors in the college context inhibit or enhance the chances of sexual violations occurring?
  1. How do you feelelectronic communicationcontributes to an environment of respect/disrespect?
  1. If you could get one message acrossaboutsexual respect, what would it be?
  1. Please describe any personal or academic experiences or skills you may have in any of the following areas. Note that previous experience is helpful but not required in all of these areas and that each of them will be covered during PA training):
  1. Abuse against persons, including harassment, assault, and relationship violence.
  1. Previous experience as an educator (including programming) or counselor.
  1. Working with individuals whose race, age, religion, or sexual orientation are different from your own.
  1. Involvement /membership in groups related to gender, sexual orientation, diversity, peer leadership, etc.

Amherst College Peer Advocate Program Application 2012

(PLEASE TEAR OFF PAGE AND KEEP FOR YOUR RECORDS AND FUTURE REFERENCE)

Description

The Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect are an on-campus group of students who have been trained by the Sexual Harassment Educators to support those who have encountered any form of sexual mistreatment as well as educating the Amherst College Community on issues of sexual violence. Peer Advocates are trained to support and to refer individuals in various situations of sexual misconduct and to appropriate on and off campus resources. In addition, they sponsor various awareness activities and educational programs to help prevent future incidents of sexual violence. The Peer Advocates are a group of men and women who are trained listeners and skilled in assisting students to make appropriate decisions based on their situation.

Responsibilities

  1. Your initial responsibility will be your presence at the January Interterm Training. This time will be used to train all new Peer Advocates on issues of sexual harassment, assault, and relationship violence. The training is tentatively scheduled for the third week of interterm (we’ll determine these dates later). The trainings will be from 9:00-5:00 with a minimum of 2 evening trainings.
  2. You will be expected to attend weekly Peer Advocate meetings that will be on Monday evenings 7:00-9:00. Please plan accordingly.
  3. You will be asked to assume on-call status 2 times per semester. Being on call consists of carrying the PA cell phone, checking the PA email account, and responding to it 24 hours a day for 1 week.
  4. As a Peer Advocate, you are required to report any and all cases (even in the abstract, in cases of confidentiality) to the program supervisor, Gretchen Krull.
  5. You will be asked to participate in First-Year Orientation as Squad Leaders.
  6. Peer Advocates are expected to chair/coordinate one project per semester and be involved in at least two of these projects. Projects may include: Healthy Relationships Week; Peer Advocate Handbook revisions; Workshops on healthy relationships, consent; breaking up; long distance relationships, and friend of survivors; Purple and White Ribbon projects; Clothesline Project, etc.

To assure that you understand and can comply with these responsibilities and guidelines, to the best of your knowledge, please print and sign your name and enter the date below.

Print Name______Date: ______

Signature: ______

1 | Page