FORT DRUM, New York (WWNY) – Fort Drum is trying to prepare college-bound kids from military families for the ups and downs of campus life. Part of that is a lesson on sexual assault and consent.
Books, laptops and dorms are all part of the college experience. Living on your own can come with high-risk situations on campus.
“As much as our military young adults are accustomed to transitions, one thing that we aren’t as accustomed to is having effective communication with high-risk situations such as sexual violence, sexual harassment and sexual assault,” said Fort Drum Garrison Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Nichol Borland.
On Thursday, Fort Drum’s Soldier Family Readiness Division, SFRD, has an event where young adults and parents will learn how to deal with these situations, including setting healthy boundaries.
“Instead of having a conversation of what are you going to do when you’re walking home to dorms from libraries, it’s how are you going to have an effective communication with individuals that are pressing the boundary lines and trying to make you do something that you don’t want to do,” said Borland.
Borland says often it’s the people closest to you who push or cross sexual boundaries. She adds that it’s important for people to understand different types of consent like verbal or non-verbal. She says body language, like tensing up, can convey a non-verbal no.
Borland says it’s also important for these conversations to happen at home to create a safe zone between young adults and parents.
SFRD officials say the program is not only for Drum families but also for the rest of the community.
For more information, call Borland at 315-774-0158.
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