USM trains athletes to end gender violence

GORHAM — All too often the call to action comes on the heels of tragedy, spurring a group or community to action. The upcoming violence prevention training of athletes at the University of Southern Maine is no such knee jerk reaction, but another step in the school’s commitment to create a safe campus.

On January 9 and 10, Mentors in Violence Prevention trained all USM winter athletes in bystander intervention to reduce gender-based harassment and violence. The training of over 200 winter athletes continues the commitment to training all athletes that began with training of fall athletes and will continue with spring athletic teams and resume again in the fall of 2013.

This project came about through the collective efforts of Boys to Men, a local violence-prevention nonprofit, the USM Campus Safety Project, and the USM Athletic Department.

The MVP training was one of the first in the country to utilize bystander intervention as an effective prevention tool. The program, largely developed by Jackson Katz in 1993, has been utilized across the country and internationally by the U.S. military, the NFL, college sports teams and members of the NHL.

“It is the strongest training program that I’m aware of for reducing gender based violence,” said Drew Wing, executive director of Boys to Men. “We are so pleased that the USM athletic department is taking the initiative to educate and challenge their players toward increased leadership with their teammates and peers.”

“Sports teams embody powerful social norms and unspoken rules. When we can tap into these inherent dynamics there is a great potential for changing attitudes and behaviors that can benefit the team, school and larger community,” said Al Bean, Athletic Director at USM.