RESPECT Received Multiple Awards at Regional Conference Held on U of A Campus

Photo Submitted

Back row (L-R): Ariana Baker (graduate student adviser), Brooks Bonwich, Maddy Shumate, Mary A. Wyandt-Hiebert (adviser), Karen Granados, Nick Denny, Rebecca Machost, Jen Carlson (adviser) front row (L-R): Shelby Paver, Katie Gould, Linda Gault, Nikki Warren

The BACCHUS Area 6 Spring Conference was held on campus Feb. 28 to March 1, and the peer education group, Rape Education Services by Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought (RESPECT) received four awards.

RESPECT was honored for their classroom presentation evaluation design with the Outstanding Research and Evaluation Award. RESPECT also recently won this award at the National BACCHUS Conference this past November.

This year RESPECT implemented a campaign on campus called, “That’s so 6%!” This initiative was recognized with the Outstanding Program Award for its success in creating a way to culturally infuse bystander intervention to address sexual violence.

In addition, RESPECT received the Innovative Use of Technology Award for “The Meme Project,” which looked at pop culture and then created a series of memes that counter rape culture.

RESPECT was also honored with the prestigious Outstanding BACCHUS Network Member Award for outstanding performance by a peer education group. Over the past year, RESPECT completed 43 classroom presentation, 4 conference presentations, and 18 outreach events, including International Women's Day, Spring Break Safety, Alcohol Awareness, Mock Rape Trial, Take Back the Nigh March, and Step Up and Speak Out Bystander Intervention to name a few. RESPECT has utilized social media and traditional print media extensively for a variety of on-going social norming campaigns. Additionally, all members have completed the National BACCHUS Certified Peer Education training.

Members of RESPECT presented two workshops during the conference: "Successful Social Norming Campaigns Utilizing Social Media" and "Countering Rape Culture Through Memes.”