University of Iowa snares grant to prevent sexual violence and stalking

The University of Iowa will pursue new initiatives to prevent and reduce sexual violence and stalking on campus and in the community with the aid of a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

Initiatives include an expansion of bystander education, providing tools to help people safely intervene when they perceive destructive behaviors or attitudes. The grant will additionally support efforts to prevent stalking and improve services to stalking victims as well as provide education and professional in-service training, including technical training for law enforcement officials on mobile phone forensics.

Funding comes from the Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking on Campus Program. Monique DiCarlo, UI Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator, will serve as project director.

Other participating organizations are the UI Women's Resource and Action Center, leading the bystander education work; UI Police, providing officer education and training on mobile phone forensics; RVAP, implementing online prevention education courses for students; UI Dean of Students, augmenting training for judicial affairs administrators; Domestic Violence Intervention Program, providing campus advocacy for victims of domestic/dating violence; and the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, helping develop training materials.