Contact Us

Dean of Students Office

Knight Hall 128

Dept. 3135, 1000 E. University Dr.

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: 307-766-3296

Fax: 307-766-3298

Email: dos@uwyo.edu

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Violence Prevention Office

Prevention Approach

The Violence Prevention Center, as part of the Dean of Students Office, firmly believes that sexual and interpersonal violence can be prevented, and that we can create a safer and more respectful community. We utilize research-informed and evidence-based approaches to prevention education that are rooted in public health models and best practice.

Prevention education refers to comprehensive education that is focused on addressing the root causes of interpersonal violence (sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking). Prevention strategies address the way individual, relationship, community, and societal factors impact interpersonal violence and aim to prevent violence before it occurs. 

We utilize research-informed and evidence-based approaches to prevention education that are rooted in the public health model and best practice. This includes following the nine principles of prevention.

Comprehensive Services

Strategies should include multiple components and affect multiple settings to address a wide range of risk and protective factors of the target problem.

Varied Teaching Methods

Strategies should include multiple teaching methods, including some type of active, skills based component.

Sufficient Dosage

Participants need to be exposed to enough of the activity for it to have an effect.

Theory Driven

Preventive strategies should have scientific or logical rationale.

Positive Relationships

Programs should foster strong, stable, positive relationships.

Appropriately Timed

Program activities should happen at a time (developmentally) that can have maximum impact in a participant's life.

Socio-culturally Relevant

Programs should be tailored to fit within cultural beliefs and practices of specific groups, as well as local community norms.

Outcome Assessment and Evaluation

A systematic outcome evaluation is necessary to determine whether a program or strategy worked.

Well-Trained Staff

Programs need to be implemented by staff members who are sensitive, competent, and have received sufficient training, support, and supervision. Follow up (booster) training and technical assistance to staff are critical.

 

9 principles of prevention.

 

The Dean of Students Office utilizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public health approach to interpersonal violence prevention. Our prevention education focuses largely on primary prevention that is aimed at the entire campus community. This includes multi-layered approaches to prevention including incoming education for new members to our campus community and ongoing education and training for students, staff, and faculty. Counseling support, SAFE Project's confidential advocacy, and response efforts (investigations and student conduct) act as both secondary and tertiary prevention providing both short-term crisis management and long-term support to survivors who have been impacted by interpersonal violence.

 

Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention definitions.
Primary Prevention Secondary Prevention  Tertiary Prevention

Approaches that take place before violence has occurred to prevent initial perpetration or victimization.

Immediate responses after violence has occurred to deal with the short-term consequences of violence.

Long-term responses after violence has occurred to deal with the long-term consequences of violence.

Our prevention strategy aims to educate all populations within the campus community (students, staff, and faculty) on the critical roles that they each play in preventing violence and creating culture change. To prevent sexual violence, we have to understand what circumstances and factors influence its occurrence. We use the social-ecological model to understand the factors that influence interpersonal violence as it offers a framework for understanding the complex interplay of individual, relationship, social, political, cultural, and environmental factors that influence sexual and interpersonal violence. 

social-ecological-model.png

 

The social ecological model and corresponding prevention strategies.

Level
Influences
Strategy
Prevention Activity Examples
Student An individual's personal history, knowledge and belief system.  Promote attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that support equality, respect and non-violence Educational sessions that give students the skills and knowledge to 
Peer Group Relationships with peers, intimate partners, family members can influence risk/support for sexual or interpersonal violence and beliefs.   Green Dot Bystander Trainings
Campus Community Factors that increase risk based on community and social environments, including an individual’s relationships with schools, workplaces, neighborhoods.    
University Larger, macro-level factors that influence sexual and interpersonal violence such as gender inequality, cultural belief systems, societal norms, and policies that create gaps in service.   Campus Climate surveys, ongoing assessment of community needs, SMRT team. 

What's Your Green Dot?

Here at The University of Wyoming, we are committed to reducing and preventing interpersonal violence such as sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. Green Dot is a bystander intervention program that gives people the skills and tools to prevention and intervene in Red Dot moments (sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking). We believe that if everyone does one thing, no one will have to do everything.

A Green Dot is your choice at any moment to make campus safer by promoting safety for everyone and letting others know that you will not tolerate violence. A Green Dot is any behavior, choice, word or attitude that sends a clear message that:

  1. Violence is not okay with you, and

  2. Everyone is expected to do their part. 

For more information and to register for training, visit uwyo.edu/greendot.

Circle with direct, distract, and delegate.
 
Contact Us

Dean of Students Office

Knight Hall 128

Dept. 3135, 1000 E. University Dr.

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: 307-766-3296

Fax: 307-766-3298

Email: dos@uwyo.edu

Find us on Instagram (Link opens a new window)Find us on Facebook (Link opens a new window)Find us on Twitter (Link opens a new window)Find us on LinkedIn (Link opens a new window)Find us on YouTube (Link opens a new window)