As you may be aware, rumors have spread on social media claiming that a TikTok video has been posted by several men encouraging others to commit acts of harm and sexual violence on April 24. While no one has yet found evidence that such a post exists, as this Newsweek article points out the simple fact that this rumor has received such attention is harmful to survivors of sexual violence and to our community effort to promote an environment that is free from gender-based discrimination and refutes the premise of rape culture. If you see any posts promoting threatening messages such as these, please make sure to report it to the social media platform on which you saw it and make the Title IX Office at Ithaca College aware.
We would like to use this opportunity to highlight community efforts we can all make to promote a safer campus. Here are some things you can do today and every day:
- Attend events that aim to educate our community to recognize signs of sexual and dating violence so that you can identify potential harmful situations. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and we hope that you can join us for these events.
- Learn the skills to become a pro-social bystander so that you can safely intervene in behaviors and prevent violence from occurring or continuing. Interested in becoming more aware of how to be a pro-social bystander? Click here and scroll down for more information about Bystander Intervention.
- Understand the ways you can support a friend.
- Make sure you support yourself by accessing a number of resources available to you on and off campus.
- Download the Rave Guardian app to your smartphone, giving you quick access to important safety and wellness contacts, information, and resources.
If you see content that supports rape culture and other violent behavior on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, report it to the outlet. Use the reporting function located on the post in question.
You can report sexual violence or misconduct to several officials on campus. Take a look here to see how to file a report.
Please remember the impact of social media on ourselves and our community. Understand how your behavior on social media is impactful and can contribute to the abolishment of rape culture—your posts, the way you respond to posts, and the choices you make to ignore or interact with content. Let’s work together to support one another and take care of ourselves and our community.