SJU hosts bystander intervention training

On Friday, Jan. 7, SJU Residential Life hosted Dr. John Foubert on campus to speak on what men can do as active bystanders and helpers to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.

SJU RAs and some St. John’s Senate members attended the eight-hour training. This aligns with the Presidents’ update to the community on the Pat Hall situation when they identified a number of next steps.

These steps include additional training for students leaders, such as RAs, student senators, student athletes on healthy masculinity, relationships, bystander intervention, alcohol use and Title IX.

Mike Connolly, SJU vice president for Student Development and Dean of Students, explained that Foubert was chosen particularly for this on-campus training because he was identified as a national speaker who could provide training to student leaders.

“I reviewed with Dr. Foubert the campus concerns that were raised and had a series of phone calls which resulted in Foubert developing day long training,” Connolly said.

There were several sessions on multiple issues including how to help a sexual assault survivor; bystander intervention; characteristics of sexual assault perpetrators; how the brain and body react to sexual trauma; PTSD and how survivors describe what happened to them; false beliefs about rape; gender and social norms; how pornography relates to sexual violence and objectification of women.

Foubert shared that he thought the training was received well by those in attendance.

“It is clear to me that St. John’s is blessed with terrific student leaders who really care about their fellow students and want to make a difference in the world,” Foubert said.

Sean Fisher, Sustainability Representative on the St. John’s senate, was one of the student leaders in attendance.

Fisher thought the training went well, as it was “very real and explicit when it needed to be.” He found the training to be “engaging and encouraged respectful conversations about these topics.” Fisher hopes that more senators and campus leaders sign up to participate to go through a similar training. He urges that, “Then we could start leading the SJU community towards campus culture change, and that is truly what we need. In my personal life I will be committing myself to intervene and be a part of the solution and continue real, desensitized conversations about sexual assault and rape,” Fisher said.

Avery Bentrott, an SJU RA, was also at the training. While his expectations going into it were low, but he was surprised to find that the training could not have gone much better. He thought that Foubert was an extremely effective speaker that brought good content.

“Frankly, if everyone did the training, the campuses would be much better off,” Bentrott said.

In addition, after running through scenarios, he feels equipped to effectively address and recognize a situation. He also shared that they learned about the mental trauma that occur in aftermath of a sexual assault, which included a trauma-informed approach and how to help a survivor. Bentrott believes his role as an RA changed how he perceived the training, since it overlapped with much of the previous trainings he has had.

“The people who go out every weekend to the bars or a house party, or whatever and who find themselves in the environments conducive to these situations would benefit greatly from this training. RAs are absolutely a group who needed this training, but at the end of the day we are only 50 people who stay in the dorms at least one weekend every month. We can’t be everywhere, and the more people who receive this training who are in those situations means the safer this campus becomes,” Bentrott said.

In terms of plans for future trainings, Connolly said that student training topics will continue to be reviewed in order to “support and enhance a healthy and respectful community.”