Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention & Prevention (SAVIP)

Who are we?

SAVIP offers support and advocacy services to students who either have been the victim of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault and/or interpersonal violence. The services provided include:

1. 24 hour on-call services to assist students, faculty, & staff
2. academic assistance
3. medical accompaniment
4. safety planning
5. temporary alternative housing and/or permanent relocation
6. legal advocacy
7. referral assistance

Additionally, SAVIP works on various campaigns campus wide to provide a primary prevention approach to preventing sexual and/or relationship violence. Thus creating a campus environment where the students are part of a community to which they are accountable for each other. A Carolina Community of respect, trust, equality and healthy relationships.

What are we doing?

SAVIP is currently launching an initiative called Stand Up Carolina. This bystander accountability campaign is designed to shift the issues around sexual and/or relationship violence from one of blame to one of empowerment and promote the sense of community. The USC community is taught to recognize the problem, step in and speak up against behaviors that are negative to the college environment. Stand Up Carolina empowers students to:

1. intervene and prevent sexual and physical violence on campus
2. discourage negative behavior by curtailing discriminatory, destructive and illegal behavior
3. call attention to bystander behavior
4. encourage people to react and take appropriate action with respect to unacceptable behavior
5. highlight the prevalence and impact of acquaintance rape and/or interpersonal, dating violence as well as stalking
6. clearly define the role that USC can play in ending violence

The scope of Stand Up Carolina is diverse because it offers an accumulation of media campaigns, classroom discussions (U101) and peer education. We aim to train faculty and staff to recognize assault, interpersonal violence, and infuse pertinent intervention strategies into their everyday curriculum.

SAVIP recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month with events that are designed to raise awareness about interpersonal violence (specifically but not exclusively focusing on domestic violence) as a major social issue. The goal is to debunk the myth that domestic violence is a woman’s issue, increase the awareness and visibility of male involvement, and reinforce bystander accountability through Stand Up Carolina; all while empowering individuals to have healthier relationships.