“Not Anymore” encourages sexual assault survivors to speak out




“Not Anymore” is a sexual misconduct prevention program at Chico State that aims to eliminate sexual assault, dating violence and stalking by educating students about how to respond in these situations.

The program was initially rolled out during the 2015-2016 school year for incoming students. Now, it is a campus-wide requirement.

Students at Chico State are required to participate in the program each year in order to enroll in classes.

Incoming freshman and transfer students must complete the full course and continuing students will be required to complete “refresher” courses, according to campus Title IX Coordinator Dylan Saake.

Since its initiation, the Not Anymore program has had a different theme or focus each year. Because sexual misconduct is a multi-faceted topic, this has helped to bring awareness to all of the facets of the problem.

“2016-2017 focused on healthy relationships….This year it is called Every Choice, and it is focused on bystander intervention and what people can do to step in when they see something,” Saake said.

It remains unclear whether Not Anymore is helping to prevent incidents of sexual assault because the majority of assault cases are not reported. Only about 20% of college students who have been sexually assaulted report it to the police, according to data by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN).

However, an annual report by the Not Anymore program has shown an increase in the number of people reporting sexual assault.

“This is the third straight year that we have seen an increase in reports made to our office concerning Sexual Misconduct, Dating and Domestic Violence, and Stalking,” the report states.
“We are heartened that more and more students, staff, and faculty, are using their voices to share their experiences, and seeking out resources.”

The reports appear to show that negative stigma surrounding survivors is not preventing them from reaching out.

“Awareness is going up, people know how to report, they know what their options are and that has resulted in them sharing their experiences,” Saake said.

Evaluation surveys also show that students who participated in Not Anymore have mostly agreed that the program has helped them to understand the issues surrounding sexual assault better.

For example, 95%  of first-time freshman stated that Not Anymore helped them to better understand the factors that lead to sexual assault. Another 96% stated that it helped them learn how to intervene when they witness a potentially violent situation.

When compared with the survey results of “refresher” courses, the data remains consistent, with more than 90% of students saying that the program has been beneficial to them in some way.
Saake also shared an experience he had that he believes shows just how important Not Anymore is.


“We did have one case where we were investigating sexual assault and we did have text messages where one student said that ‘I didn’t know I was going to need any of that Not Anymore stuff, but I guess it’s going to be useful,’” he said. 
-- Katie Morris

Katie Morris

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