In September, I interviewed Kate Gladstone from the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) here at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Kate Gladstone serves as the SHARPP prevention specialist, where she designs violence-prevention-related programs based on her research and power-conscious approach. She focuses on topics such as rape culture, relationship abuse, consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention and more. Alongside other SHARPP faculty, she collaborates with students and staff at UNH and dedicates the majority of her time to ensuring that the UNH campus is as free from violence as possible.
I first asked Kate if she could share some insight on prevention specifically for UNH freshmen. She said, “Interpersonal violence is preventable! This is not just an unfortunate but inevitable issue in our world; we can prevent violence from happening in the first place, and we all have a role to play in creating a UNH community that is free from violence.” We all truly want to create a community here at UNH that is safe and free from violence. My next question for Kate was about how UNH students as a whole can prevent sexual violence and rape. Her response was, “There are so many ways that members of the UNH community can take an active role in preventing violence. On an interpersonal level, it can look like practicing affirmative consent, interrupting potentially harmful or dangerous situations, intervening when you hear unacceptable language or jokes and showing up for your friends. We can also prevent violence by examining and disrupting social norms in our communities that might minimize the issue or uphold myths and stereotypes. Finally, we can advocate for change at the macro level when it comes to legislation, institutional policies, and cultural norms that contribute to violence.” As a Wildcat, you can make a difference in the UNH community. If you see something, say something.
As the SHARPP Prevention Specialist, Kate shared some information about the program and its unique confidentiality protocols. She said, “SHARPP’s advocates hold confidentiality under New Hampshire state law. This means that if you seek support from SHARPP, any information you share stays between you and the advocate you speak to. It is always up to individual survivors whether they decide to report their experience to other entities on campus or in the community, such as Title IX or law enforcement.” If you or someone you know wants to speak about something you want to remain confidential, SHARPP is a good resource to turn to. SHARPP has no obligation to share any information with anybody else; it stays between you and the advocate you speak to. She continued, “SHARPP is a unique office in many ways. The legal confidentiality that SHARPP advocates hold distinguishes them from RAs, professors, coaches, advisors, etc. who are mandatory reporters. This doesn’t mean that you won’t also receive important and ongoing support from people who have mandated reporter obligations, just that if confidentiality is something you seek, SHARPP is a resource on campus that can provide that. Other confidential campus entities include PACS and Health & Wellness.
We know that if survivors disclose their experiences to anyone, it is often those closest to them — friends and family. These people can be such vital and important sources of support, love and healing. Sometimes, though, friends and family don’t have formal knowledge or training around all of the options that are available to a survivor and SHARPP is here to provide emotional support as well as information about the various avenues, resources and choices that are open to survivors of interpersonal violence.”
Although advocates across the globe, such as the wonderful humans participating in SHARPP, try their very hardest to prevent situations like sexual harassment and rape from occurring, sometimes incidents still happen. I asked Kate what one can do, as a friend of someone who endured a situation like that, to comfort their friend. She said, “It can be hard to know exactly what to say or do when a friend or loved one discloses that they have had an experience of violence. There is a lot of pressure to say or do the exact right thing, but that exact right thing is different for everyone and can change from moment to moment. The best thing you can do to be there for someone is to listen with an open mind and respond with kindness and affirmation. It is important to start by believing, to validate the experiences and emotions that someone might share and to offer nonjudgmental support. Then, you can connect that person with resources that are here for them, like SHARPP.”
As Wildcats, we all want to be advocates for survivors. But the real question is, how can we be? How can we make a difference? When I asked Kate what we could do, she stated, “There are endless sources of information about all the facets and nuances of interpersonal violence and anti-violence work. It’s important to start with ourselves — increasing our own awareness, understanding, and critical knowledge of this issue. Then, we can spread awareness by sharing resources with and offering our perspectives to the people in our communities. Another great way to engage with violence prevention and anti-violence work is to attend and bring friends to SHARPP’s events that are held throughout the year, from book clubs and film screenings to educational programs and rallies. Information about our events can always be found on our website or social media @UNHSHARPP.” If you or someone you know wants to get involved with SHARPP, feel free to contact Kate at Kate.Gladstone@unh.edu. On involvement, Kate said, “SHARPP offers two volunteer tracks for students who are interested in getting involved with our office. Community Educators are the students who support SHARPP’s outreach and prevention education efforts by tabling around campus, staffing events, and co-facilitating programs. Peer Advocates are the students who work in a direct support role with survivors by staffing SHARPP’s 24/7 helpline; these students are trained and onboarded in the fall semester through a 4-credit academic course. Students who are interested in either of these volunteer opportunities can find more information by visiting our website or reaching out to a SHARPP staff member!”
Kate provided a plethora of insightful resources, ideas, and advice on how we as Wildcats can prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape or any other type of violence here on campus and in the world. To show how important prevention is, I also wanted to share some statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). One in every five women in the United States experienced completed or attempted rape. Just under 25% of men in the U.S. have experienced sexual violence. 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault. One in three female victims of completed or attempted rape experienced it for the first time between age 11 and age 17. About one in four male victims of completed or attempted rape first experienced it between age 11 and age 17. In the U.S., 40% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement in 2017, whereas only 25% were reported in 2018. Almost one in four undergraduate women experienced sexual assault or misconduct in 33 major universities in the U.S. It is estimated that 734,630 people were raped in this nation in 2018 alone.
After all, we all want UNH to be the safest campus possible. Please take SHARPP’s advice and stay safe. Sexual violence is a problem in not only our community but in the entire world. Let’s make a difference here at UNH and put a stop to sexual harassment and rape. If you or someone you know needs assistance, contact SHARPP’s 24/7 Support Helpline at 603-862-7233. Stay safe out there Wildcats!
Bibliography
“Kate Gladstone Bio.” Sexual Harassment & Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP), 21 July 2020, www.unh.edu/sharpp/kate-gladstone-bio.
“Statistics.” National Sexual Violence Resource Center, www.nsvrc.org/statistics.