Last weekend I attended the 2-day MVP program. It was absolutely… I don’t even know. Condemned for being too talkative, I, am at a loss of words. Although I can’t describe it, I knew what I was getting myself into. Last year, when the sessions began at SU, I wrote an article about it. I pasted it below so you can understand what I’m talking about, let’s hope life-changing educational programs like this catch on…
SYRACUSE, NY- College women are at a greater risk for rape of other forms of sexual assaults than women in general, according to a recent federal study.
For this reason amongst others, Syracuse University welcomed Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a program designed to encourage men and women to work together in preventing gender violence, to its’ campus earlier this year.
“There is need for a prevention approach that takes our efforts to the next level,” said Juanita Perez Williams, associate dean of students, in a Syracuse University News article.
The unique MVP program was established at S.U. through a collaboration among many organizations including: the Center for Court Innovation, Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society, Syracuse University Office of Prevention Services, University R.A.P.E. Center, Syracuse University Office of Student Life, SUNY-ESF Office of Student Life, and Vera House Inc.
“We’re really hoping that people become aware of the prevalence of basic disrespect between the genders,” said Jill Sneider, Sexual Health Coordinator at Syracuse University’s R.A.P.E. Center.
Last August, members from the organizations attended the MVP Institute for Gender Violence Prevention and Education in order to gain the training necessary to implement it at Syracuse University. Then, during the last weekends in February, these professional-trainers trained 55 students through the MVP program. Those peer educators have since trained 60 students and are to train about 95 more this coming weekend.
“MVP empowers people to do something, do something different, and take action,” Sneider said.
MVP is a leadership program that encourages students to play a central role in solving these problems that have been considered “women’s issues”: rape, battering, and sexual harassment.
A co-founder of the program, Jason Katz has discussed the motivation behind MVP’s creation numerous times.
“The goal is to create a male peer culture, an atmosphere whereby the abuse of women by some men will be seen as completely unacceptable by the mall peer culture,” Katz said in an article from The Daily Californian.
The Mentors in Violence Prevention was developed at Northeastern University in 1993 for high school and college athletes.
Nevertheless, a study by Jeffrey Benedict, a former research coordinator at Sport in Society, found that at 10 Division I colleges and universities surveyed, male athletes represented 3.3% of the student population yet were responsible for 19% of all sexual assault complaints before their disciplinary boards.
This is the first time the MVP model has ever been used with a Greek community on a college campus.
“The Greek system is unique because of the vast history and values that are already instilled in its members, we are simply trying to tap these aspects into the program,” said Kathryn Ford, Senior Domestic Violence Programs Associate at The Center for Court Innovation.
The Syracuse Partnership for Violence Prevention “brings this leadership program to fraternities and sororities, to promote involvement of students in gender-based violence prevention,” according to the program’s flier.
“Together our goal is to institutionalize this innovative program at Syracuse,” she said.
Funded by a $240,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, more than 800 students will have the opportunity to participate in the peer-facilitated training in this two-year project.
“MVP has already promoted student that are willing, comfortable, and ready to stand up for what they believe in, I am confident it will continue to be successful,” Ford said.
During this time period researchers from the Center for Court Innovation will assess the efficiency of the program in Greek life by examining the student’s attitudes before and after training.
A sophomore at Syracuse, Shayna Bentkover, is one of the peer-educators training the students in the MVP model.
“The exercises brought a great awareness to gender-bias, I look at everything differently now. It was much more effective than I anticipated,” she said.
According to its website, the MVP model focuses on men and women as empowered bystanders who intervene in the face of abusive or harassing behavior, as well as provide support and assistance to their peers.
“I think part of the reason that it has been successful is because of the bystander model it promotes,” said Randi Bregman, Executive Director at Vera House. “It allows people to consider how they can be part of the solution to issues like men’s violence against women.”
Throughout the training period, students concentrate on discussing many real-life situations and their solutions.
“A friend of mine did it and said the most helpful part was definitely hearing the honest opinions from both guys and girls. He was actually in shock at some of the responses,” said Auyon Ghosh, a freshman Physics major.
Don McPherson, a noted violence prevention advocate and former S.U. and professional football player, spoke on the importance of discussion on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
“Violence against women is a men’s issue and men have to confront other men, otherwise, it won’t end,” sad the executive director of the Adelphi University Sports Leadership Institute.
The goal of the MVP program is to create a new climate where “rates of harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, bullying and all forms of violence will decline, as will the amount of preventable and suffering they cause.”
Megan Walsh, a sophomore Advertising major and member of one of the 12 sororities on the university’s campus, knew very little about the MVP program before it debuted in Syracuse but is learning more about it from her involvement with the Panhellenic Council.
“I definitely think it is smart to address this issue within the Greek community because many issues, stereotypes, problems etc. lie within the Greek system and if they are addressed head-on it could be very beneficial.”
Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, MVP has been shown to produce a significant positive change in students’ knowledge and behaviors relation to gender violence and prevention, according to the MVP website.
Although there were none recorded last year, the S.U. Department of Public Safety recorded 34 sexual offenses and 12 assaults in 2005.
“If changes can start to be made from this program, even if they happen very slowly, reputations and problems surrounding sexual violence will hopefully decrease,” Walsh said.