Growing up in the hyper-masculine atmosphere that goes along with male-dominated sports like travel hockey, Dylan Schentag heard his fair share of sexist locker room jokes and crude remarks about women.

Now a third-year psychology major, he’s doing his part to help change the channel and discourage a culture that objectifies women and ultimately leads to the trivialization of sexual assault.

“That’s exactly what we’re trying to change,” said Schentag, who along with third-year criminology major Kathryn Brown is part of handful of peer facilitators currently conducting workshops for the Bystander Initiative. “When we objectify women, we don’t see them as people, as that’s where the trouble begins.”

Developed by the University of New Hampshire and brought to UWindsor by faculty members Anne Forrest and Charlene Senn, the initiative encourages students to see themselves as potential bystanders who could intervene and stop an assault before it happens. During a three hour workshop, students learn the importance of speaking out against social norms that support sexual assault and coercion, how to recognize and safely interrupt situations that could lead to sexual assault, and how to be an effective and supportive ally to survivors.

Peer facilitators like Schentag and Brown participated in the workshops last year and then took two courses to prepare them on how to deliver the curriculum. Over a two-week period, about 600 students will attend 24 workshops, which began earlier this week.

Brown said the workshops provide students with practical strategies to help prevent situations from escalating to a point where sexual violence may occur. Given that most assaults are perpetrated by people who the victim knows, the workshops focus on real-life scenarios that people are likely to encounter.

“It’s so critical to be aware of your surroundings,” said Brown, who taught her first workshop Monday night. “Sometimes it can be just checking-in to see if a friend isn’t feeling pressured and that consent is present. However, there may be times where a more direct approach is necessary, such as removing a person from a risky situation to ensure the safety of both parties.”

Brown also said the program is applicable to many areas of social life.

“For example, it can be utilized in our workplace environments and in our everyday social interactions, which can be precursors to more overt forms of sexual violence,” she said.

For more information about the workshops, contact Dusty Johnstone at dustyj@uwindsor.ca.