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Who we are and what we do
About SAPA
SAPA is a volunteer, para-professional student organization under the department of Sexual Aggression Services. The services provided by SAPA are confidential and free of charge. SAPA offers a variety of services including advocacy, education, and outreach focused on the issues of sexual aggression to the CMU campus and community. Sexual aggression is the umbrella term adapted by SAPA and utilized to encompass the issues of domestic violence, harassment, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Vision
SAPA is founded on the belief that every individual has the right to be safe, feel empowered and equal, and to be free from any type of violent, intimidating, or threatening behavior. Fundamental to this belief, SAPA feels confidential peer advocacy is the cornerstone to providing effective advocacy services on a college campus. Additionally, SAPA seeks to eliminate domestic violence, harassment, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the furtherance of education and awareness programs to the campus and community.
Mission
The mission of SAPA is to provide empowerment through confidential support and advocacy to those who have been affected by domestic violence, harassment, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking; while simultaneously promoting awareness and education to our campus and community surrounding these issues.
SAPA services
Confidential advocacy services are the cornerstone of SAPA. These include 24/7 crisis and support services via crisis phone line and in-person services. Advocacy services are available to CMU faculty, staff, and students as well as community members.
Each year SAPA dedicates thousands of volunteer hours to the issues surrounding sexual aggression. While it is impossible to note the expansive ways SAPA's dedicate their time, the following are a few examples:
- Advocacy efforts, including assisting hundreds of individuals impacted by sexual aggression annually.
- Community outreach efforts, including the coordination of several awareness month events throughout the year.
- Educational efforts, including the annual presentation of the new student orientation program No Zebras, No Excuses.
Concerns we address
Sexual Aggression includes stalking, sexual harassment, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. SAPA promotes empowerment through information, choices, and resources.
Domestic violence and intimate partner violence
Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence are defined as an intentional act used to gain power and control over another person, which may include:
- Physical Assaults
- Sexual Assaults
- Emotional Abuse
- Verbal Abuse
- Isolation
- Minimizing and Blaming
- Controlling Behaviors
- Using Children
- Using Coercion and Threats
- Using Intimidation
- Stalking
Sexual assault
Sexual assault takes many forms including rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Sexual assault occurs in the absence of consent or when a person is unable to consent due to incapacitation. Anybody can be sexually assaulted.
Sexual harassment
Harassment is conduct or behavior by and individual(s) that may cause another person distress and/or interfere with their working, living, and/or learning environment. It can occur in several places, including the workplace, a school environment, college/university environment, and/or online. There are a variety of people who can be in the position to harass. Some of these include, but are not limited to, bosses, faculty/staff, managers, teachers, colleagues/co-workers, professors, and/or students. Types of harassment include quid pro quo and hostile environment. Here is an example of each:
- Quid Pro Quo: A professor offers you a better grade in exchange for sexual favors.
- Hostile Environment: A colleague refers to you as a "slut" and "whore" and repeatedly makes related comments about your appearance.
Stalking
Stalking is repeated unwanted behavior directed at a specific person that could place that person in fear for their safety. While not an exhaustive list of the many stalking behaviors, these are some examples of what stalking behaviors could include:
- Following of another person
- Phone calls/text messages/social media communication
- Appearing at a person's place of residence, education, and/or employment
Some stalking is connected with a relationship, beginning either during the relationship or after it has ended. In these cases, the stalker is likely seeking to maintain or regain control over the victim. In other cases, the stalker may become fixated on a victim without ever having established a prior relationship with that person. Either type of stalker may keep the victim under surveillance and/or threaten them. All forms of stalking are unpredictable, and should be considered dangerous.