RUSA town hall hosts VPVA during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
On Thursday, the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) hosted a town hall with the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance (VPVA) at the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus in acknowledgment of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
At the meeting, Rebecca Vasquez, the director of VPVA, along with Jonél Vilches, the Victims of Crime Act educator and director of SCREAM Theater, Lisa Smith, the coordinator for domestic violence services, and Ally Smith, a graduate student intern for VPVA and former Assembly president, presented an informational slideshow on the organization.
VPVA, which provides both counseling and advocacy services, reported witnessing an increase in the use of their 24/7 hotline from 2018 to 2022, according to the presentation.
Additionally, one graph displayed a spike in counseling clients during the 2019-2020 academic year. During this year, VPVA was responsible for more than 100 clients per semester, compared to approximately 60 to 80 clients per semester during other years.
Lisa Smith then discussed alternative resolutions to assault when survivors do not seek legal charges, a phenomenon she said she sometimes sees in her work.
"Maybe they want an apology," she said. "Maybe they want to know why. Maybe they want some kind of acknowledgment of what happened."
Lisa Smith said VPVA also works with students who have violated or may be at risk of violating the University’s sexual misconduct policy. The behavioral integrity program focuses on subject areas like rejection, consent, gender roles and cyber abuse, she said.
Ally Smith talked about common misconceptions surrounding VPVA, sharing her perspective of VPVA during her undergraduate years at Rutgers.
She said VPVA is focused on all forms of interpersonal violence, such as stalking or roommate conflict, not just sexual or domestic violence. Ally Smith said VPVA has seen increased campus violence following the pandemic.
"You might not think it's as serious — don't downplay interpersonal violence," she said.
VPVA is a confidential resource, Ally Smith said. Unlike resident assistants, she said VPVA staff are not mandated reporters. In other words, unless someone poses a danger to themselves or others, VPVA remains confidential, she said.
Furthermore, she added that students can visit the VPVA office before or after a negative experience, not just in the midst of a crisis. The role of VPVA is to provide resources and be an advocate, she said.
Lastly, Ally Smith said to look out for one another, adding that this sense of community is a significant part of prevention work. She said that these acts of support and speaking up during crises make up the responsibilities of active bystanders.
"More people can be a part of this movement to change what it means to be (on) a college campus," Smith said.
The town hall then opened up to a 15-minute public Q&A forum in which students asked about the effects of the media in perpetuating violence, especially toward women.
One student asked whether VPVA deals with pornography addiction, and Lisa Smith responded that the behavioral integrity program helps students experiencing this issue. Vilches also said pornography is a particularly important subject, as it is often people's first exposure to sex education.
In response to a student who asked about how to have productive conversations with those who subscribe to victim-blaming content on social media, Vasquez said that social media has amplified the prevalence of misogyny with young men in heterosexual relationships — especially as creators like Andrew Tate monetize their perspective off controversial viewpoints like the "high-value man" or hyper-masculinity themed content.
"Coming to the VPVA, reaching out to the VPVA is not like checking your app for the weather. It takes a lot to even think about coming into our space, and so we want to honor and acknowledge anyone who does," Vasquez said.
