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First Email: Greetings from the VIP Center!
Research tells us that change happens most effectively in communities when there is buy-in from key social leaders. In fact, the success of our violence prevention efforts at UK depends on this.
Toward this end, please provide some brief responses to the four questions in the survey link below. The purpose of this survey is to identify current influential students on campus, and we are asking you for a few suggestions. We are very grateful for your valuable feedback.! Out of consideration for privacy, all contributions to this survey remain confidential, and the results of this survey will not in any way be associated with your department/college or email address.
We would greatly appreciate it if you would forward this to the colleagues in your college this week. The deadline to respond is Friday, September 11th.
Here is the survey link: Faculty - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7u0s2O3bVuQzF09AYuChLw_3d_3d
THANK YOU - THIS IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL INFORMATION AS WE WORK TO END VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS!
Please don’t hesitate to reply with any questions.
S a l l y M. E v a n s Volunteer Coordinator & Educational Progams Violence Intervention and Prevention Center 1 Frazee Hall, University of Kentucky (859) 257-3189
The Enemy of Change is Silence. What truth do you need to speak?
Second Email: Dear Students, Colleagues, and Friends,
There have been some concerns expressed regarding one of the questions included on the survey you were asked to participate in recently. Please disregard the previous survey, and feel free to participate in the revised survey included in the link below.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2RtfWZjKk6D0wQ_2b4KWGirA_3d_3d
By way of explanation, the mission of the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center is to reduce power-based personal violence within the UK community (including sexual violence, partner violence and stalking). In order to have a realistic chance at such a lofty goal, a campus-wide cultural shift is necessary. Our strategy is focused on shifting the campus culture toward one where it is the mainstream norm for bystanders (students, faculty and staff) to be actively involved in campus safety; for each individual to take responsibility for his/her small role in ensuring all of us enjoy a UK experience free from violence.
Social Diffusion theory and research tells us that the most efficient and effective way to create any cultural shift is to identify, engage and train those within a community that carry the most social influence. The intention of the survey questions distributed is to identify students from across the campus and from across areas of influence. We will then tabulate the names given to us, and narrow down the most “popular” and “influential” students across campus. These students will be approached in a general way as someone who has been identified across campus as a “popular opinion leader” or student of influence – and personally invited to participate in a day-long training. During this training, they will be equipped to model targeted bystander behaviors – that both proactively and reactively address violence – and then sent back to their natural spheres of influence to help lead the cultural shift we are seeking.
Identifying those who are popular within the “partying” domain is a critical, as we know that it is these settings that host a disproportionate amount of violence on our campus, particularly sexual violence. While many students self-identify as “partiers” – very few of these students ever commit violence. It is these students – the students that are actually at parties –who are best positioned to intervene in high risk situations that often occur when alcohol is present.
I have included a brief summary of some of the key research informing this strategy and would welcome further discussion. As stated in the original email, the names contributed will be held in confidence – and only used cumulatively.
Thanks for your participation.
Dorothy J. Edwards, Ph.D. Director, Violence Intervention and Prevention Center
Second Survey:
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