Kirsten Coit-Fetty, who has been working at West Virginia Wesleyan College for four years, is a part-time counselor that helps coordinate JUST STAND on campus. JUST STAND is an organization that aids in the prevention and assists in gaining awareness of sexual assault and domestic abuse in college students.
This program derived from the Campus Grant, Foundation for Rape Information and Services (FRIS). FRIS locally is at ten schools in West Virginia, including our own, that helps fund activities to help students become trained in how to prevent assaults as bystanders as well as encourage survivors to understand they are not alone.
Kirsten wants to push that it is not just women whom are being victimized, in fact, 10% of sexual assaults are male and 90% of all reported sexual assault cases have been by someone the survivor knew. However, bystander training can decrease the amount of violence since the responsibility would be placed upon everyone not just those directly involved. In the long run, those trained will be able to realize the warning signs and act quickly and efficiently.
WVWC is helping increase the awareness by having a walk to get the word out, show presentations to college athletes as well as Greek life organization, and even getting residence life involved in aiding in the organization and becoming trained in bystander intervention.
Let us give thanks to our campus celebrity this week for keeping our campus safe and allowing both men and women alike to be able to enjoy their college experience.