The 1980’s marked a shift in efforts in changing men’s role in rape education on The Ohio State University campus. Randy Gebhardt, previous associate administrator of OSU’s Rape Education and Prevention Program, covered a story in The Lantern in 1984 on the first rape education workshop for men under the university’s (almost) year old program. The Rape Education and Prevention Program had established a task force to create “one of the first and most extensive programs [on university campuses] intended to help men understand rape”, with workshops as the main aspect of the program (Gebhardt, 4).
Gebhardt describes the first workshop, titled “Rape Education for Men”, where 27 men participated. Some were interested, some were intimately affected by rape, and many were residence advisers (RA’s); the fact that many were RA’s is important to note because the Steeb Hall gang rape case had occurred only months prior, which sparked discussion about the RA’s adequacy of rape education and handling of rape reports. During the workshop, the men discussed the definition of rape, gender stereotypes, and their experiences with rape. The program intended to “increase rape awareness among men, to broaden stereotyped definitions and to help men become more sensitive to women’s feelings” (Gebhardt, 4).
The feedback on the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with some men inquiring about future presentations and ways to assist the program. Gebhardt mentions that Rape Education and Prevention Program planned to create support groups and education programs for men who have been raped or are concerned about being raped, in light of the fact that “at least six men were raped by other men at Ohio State [in 1983], although only two of these were reported to the police” (Gebhardt, 4).
Works Cited
Gebhardt, Randy. “Enlightened Men Can Help Stop Rape.” The Lantern[Columbus] 15 Feb. 1984: 4. Print.