MOCK DATE RAPE TRIAL TO BE HELD AT UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Rape Education Services by Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought (RESPECT) will present a mock date rape trial at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 25, in the Graduate Education Building auditorium.

The trial's jury will consist of audience members chosen the night of the trial. The program is free and open to the public. A mini-awareness fair will be conducted in the lobby outside the auditorium.

RESPECT is a sexual assault prevention education group that works with the University Health Center’s STAR Central program and is a group of student peer educators committed to stopping rape and sexual violence.

"Rape is a problem on university campuses nationwide," said Mary A. Wyandt, RESPECT advisor and STAR Central coordinator. "Acquaintance and date rape

are issues that should have zero tolerance and victims of these crimes should be supported. Through the STAR Central program, the University of Arkansas continues to address this problem through awareness education and services."

In October 1998, STAR Central was created as an expansion of the University Health Center, Health Promotion and Education Department’s Sexual Assault Education Programming. This was done with federal grant money distributed through the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence.

RESPECT hosted Sexual Assault Awareness Week activities during the week of March 4-8, to inform the University community about the issue of sexual assault and to encourage our community to express that rape will not be tolerated. It is the intention of this project to continue and grow over the years as part of an effort to break the silence about sexual assault.

The University of Arkansas Health Center’s program for sexual assault awareness and prevention education is funded in part through a Violence Against Women Act/Preventive Health and Human Services Block Grant from the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence. As an excellent opportunity for student involvement, seven students serve as peer education interns to provide awareness and prevention education to the University campus.

STAR Central is based on a 2-prong approach - to be proactive through rape awareness and prevention education, and to be reactive through victim advocacy services.

In February 2001, a peer education program was started through the STAR Central office, and RESPECT began as an initiative of the STAR Central office in February 2000.

In February 2002, RESPECT began the "While the Professor is Away" program, where the group presents to professors’ classes when they are away rather than the classes being canceled.

Presentations, awareness activities and related events are developed and implemented by these motivated individuals who serve in RESPECT. RESPECT peer educators use a variety of education techniques, including group discussions and information sharing, interactive classroom presentations, games, skits and other activities geared toward preventing rape and dispelling myths that blame victims for being raped.

Information about STAR Central and RESPECT may be obtained by contacting

Mary A. Wyandt, STAR Central coordinator and RESPECT advisor, at (479) 575-7252.

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