Acquaintance Rape Task Force holds training sessions with U. police officers

The University's Acquaintance Rape Task Force held training sessions on the University's new policy on acquaintance rape for members of the University Police Department last week. UPPD officers, administrators and all other personnel attended four-hour sessions led by administrators from a number of departments and by members of Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape. Police Commissioner John Kuprevich called for the sessions to familiarize UPPD personnel with the University's policy on acquaintance rape, and Acting Associate Vice Provost for Student Life Barbara Cassel headed the organization of the training. The sessions were also attended by members of the Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes Unit and workers of the Philadelphia District Attorney's office, Kuprevich said. The Task Force held similar sessions for workers in the University's Department of Residential Living in December. The sessions included introductions, a segment entitled "Understanding Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Violence," and segments which reviewed the University's policy and discussed its application. "That policy is applicable to everyone in the University community," Kuprevich said. Kuprevich said the sessions also addressed issues of defining acquaintance rape. Kuprevich presented a sample scenario, saying, "If a guy meets a girl at a party and they're drinking together, and you get to the point where he says yes and she says no but doesn't physically protest, is [sexual intercourse] rape?" Public Safety's Director of Victim Support and Special Services Ruth Wells said the task force was set up to formulate a policy on acquaintance rape and facilitate its implementation. "The mission of the task force was to determine the extent of the problem and to develop a policy," Wells said. "Public Safety is on the front line of receiving such complaints." "I think the training was very good, very informative," Officer Leonard Harrison said. But several of the officers said they believed further training on sensitivity in dealing with acquaintance rape victims was necessary. Wells said that "the Commissioner agrees that we need a follow-up training session." And participating STAAR member and Wharton senior Derek Goodman said, "as far as I know, [additional training] is being worked on right now. This was more of a first-tier effort for awareness." Goodman said he expected STAAR would be involved in the follow-up training as well. Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi said, "because we had a limited aount of time, the officers wanted to hear a little more about how to be sensitive to victim survivors when they were to work with them." "I was very encouraged by officers' interest in the issue," DiLapi added. "I learned a lot about the police view." Goodman was also pleased with the sessions, saying "I thought the training was very successful -- I enjoyed doing it myself." "The fact that we committed four-hour blocks to train everybody in the department talks to its value. We have a role not only for law enforcement but also for support," Kuprevich said. "This is as important as any University policy -- obviously I think it has a tremendous value."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.