OPEN offers student organizations, including fraternities and sororities, educational resources and supportive services to engage in sexual violence prevention, response, and intervention efforts.
If you are a Northeastern community member looking to support peers and respond to incidents around sexual violence, dating violence, or stalking, you can connect with OPEN’s confidential Community Consultation Services by filling out this service request form. You are not alone in navigating prevention and response efforts in your student organization.
Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence
As a student organization, you have the ability to cultivate a culture of prevention to decrease the likelihood of sexual violence in your student organization. We also want you to feel equipped to respond if members of your organization bring concerns forward or if you notice concerning behavior. We encourage all student leaders to take one of OPEN’s online modules listed below to learn more.
Preventing & Responding to Sexual Violence as a Student Leader
Designed for student leaders, this course focuses on preventing and responding to incidents of sexual violence within student organizations. Participants learn campus resources available for support, reflect on organizational culture, and build skills to intervene and respond to allegations of sexual violence.
Note: This course and its associated digital badge are required as part of the Student Organization Training Experience (SOTE). For more information, visit the Center for Student Involvement’s website.
Resources for Student Leaders
For more in-depth information about how to use the resources below, please consult with a staff member or take one of the online courses described above.
Addressing Allegations of Sexual Violence and/or other Concerning Behavior
Allegations of Sexual Violence
When you first hear about an allegation of sexual violence connected to your student organization or a peer organization, it can be difficult to know what next steps to take. We encourage you to PAUSE so that you can consult to determine the best next steps and offer a restorative and trauma-informed response. Here is a downloadable quick reference guide for the PAUSE model of response.
Concerning Behaviors Related to Alcohol or Substance Use
If you notice concerning behavior related to alcohol or other substance use, you can utilize OPEN’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Referral Guide for Student Organizations to refer the member to OPEN’s Alcohol and Other Drug Check-ins.
Concerning Behaviors Related to Unhealthy or Harmful Sexual Behaviors
If you notice concerns related to unhealthy or harmful sexual behavior, you can utilize OPEN’s SHAPE Referral Guide for Student Organizations to refer the member to OPEN’s SHAPE Program.
Intervention Skills
If you are looking for more information on how to respond as a bystander, you can take OPEN’s Up2Us: Bystander Intervention course.
Responding to Someone Sharing About an Experience of Sexual Violence
We encourage you to offer a trauma-informed response to someone disclosing to you. Here are two guides to support you in doing so.
RESPONDing to Disclosure of Sexual Violence: a quick reference guide on how to provide a trauma-informed response to a disclosure of sexual violence along with resources.
Northeastern’s Know Your Options: Sexual Violence offers location specific resources that you could share with someone who is disclosing to you an experience of sexual violence.
Responding to Someone Accused of Sexual Violence
We encourage you to offer a restorative-informed response when someone shares they have been accused of sexual violence. Here are two guides to support you in doing so.
RESTOREtively Engage with Accusations of Sexual Violence: a quick reference guide on how to engage with someone accused of sexual violence in a restorative-informed way.
Northeastern’s Know Your Options: Respondents offers information on rights and resources that you could share with someone who says they have been accused of sexual violence.