SVPE FAQ

For those who are interested, contact the SVPE office at svpe@vt.edu.

If the school closes due to the weather, all workshops will be cancelled. We will share information about cancellations and rescheduled dates on our Instagram (@svpe_vt).

SVPE is a private resource. Please refer to the Title IX page for more information. 

Virginia Tech defines consent as knowing, voluntary, and clear permission through words or actions for specific sexual activity, emphasizing it must be enthusiastic, ongoing, and can be withdrawn anytime, and never assumed from silence, past encounters, or while someone is incapacitated (e.g., drunk, unconscious, drugged). It requires active, clear agreement for each step, ensuring both parties are fully capable and freely choosing to participate.  

Key Characteristics of Consent:

• Knowing: Must be given with full understanding of what's happening.
• Voluntary: Must be freely given, without pressure, threats, or manipulation.
• Clear & Enthusiastic: Expressed through positive words or actions, not silence or ambiguity.
• Specific: Consent to one act isn't consent to others; it's for a particular activity.
• Ongoing & Revocable: Can be withdrawn at any time, even mid-act, and activity must stop

At Virginia Tech, consent requires clear, voluntary agreement, and cannot be given if someone is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, making sexual activity non-consensual.

Consent isn't possible if someone is: 

• Asleep, unconscious, or physically impaired.
• Under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the point of incapacitation.
• Intimidated, threatened, or coerced. 

Supporting a friend who chooses to disclose can feel daunting, but it’s a powerful sign of their trust in you. When in doubt, just remember the ABCs of Support:

• Affirm - “It’s not your fault, and I’m sorry this happened to you”
• Believe - “I believe you, and I’m here to support you”
• Connect - “You are not alone; how can I support you best?”
• Direct - “Would you like to know about resources available to you?”
• Empower - “It took a lot of strength and courage for you to tell me.”

Virginia Tech uses the CARE model to provide safe bystander intervention strategies. If you see something that doesn’t feel right, assess your surroundings for safety and show you CARE:

• C: Create a distraction – engage directly with the person who is being harassed & suggest an alternative activity to diffuse the tension. Don’t talk about the harassment that’s happening. 
• A: Ask directly – a more direct approach, please remember to keep your own safety in mind. You may choose to call-in the harasser, or directly address the one being harassed. 
• R: Refer to Shared Values – a shared value refers to a core principle or belief that a group of people all hold in common. 
• E: Enlist Others – You don’t have to tackle things alone; there is power in numbers! Ask a friend to help you intervene or get a second opinion. 

Prevention education refers to teaching people the knowledge and skills they need to prevent harmful situations before they happen. This happens on three levels: 

• Primary: Primary violence prevention aims to stop violence before it starts by changing societal norms, attitudes, and systems that foster inequality and harm, creating healthy environments and relationships for everyone, rather than reacting to violence after it occurs
• Secondary: Secondary violence prevention focuses on immediate responses and interventions after violence has occurred to stop it from recurring and reduce harm, targeting at-risk individuals or those in the early stages of abuse with services like crisis counseling, shelter, safety planning, and immediate support to contain the situation and prevent escalation
• Tertiary: Tertiary violence prevention focuses on long-term strategies after violence has occurred, aiming to manage its severe consequences, support survivors' recovery, and prevent recidivism through rehabilitation, ongoing treatment, and intensive support services like counseling, support groups, and offender treatment programs. 

Any member of the Virginia Tech community; as well as non-Tech affiliated members of the Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Roanoke, and NOVA communities.

• VOICES serves the undergraduate student population and campus partners at Virginia Tech. Workshops can be requested.

• VOICES Peer Educators are trained to facilitate the “Core 4” curriculum, covering the following topics: 

  • Boundary Builders 
  • Bystander Intervention 
  • Healthy Relationships 
  • Understanding Gender-Based Violence 

• If you’d like to request a custom or departmental workshop, our Graduate Assistant will coordinate with the right team members to assist you.

• Title IX report – Anyone can make a Title IX report – student, parent, staff member, or bystander. The report tells the school that sexual harassment or discrimination may have occurred. After a report, the Title IX office will reach out to the person affected and see if and what next steps they want to take. 
• Title IX formal complaint – If the report is made, an individual wants to continue and start an investigation. A formal complaint will be filed with the support of the Title IX office. This will start an investigation. 

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is observed every October to unite advocates, educate communities about abuse, uplift survivors, and promote resources to end domestic violence, featuring campaigns like Purple Thursday and sharing survivor stories to build collective awareness and solidarity.  

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), is observed every April to raise public awareness about sexual assault, educate communities on prevention, and support survivors, highlighting sexual violence as a public health, human rights, and social justice issue through campaigns, events, and initiatives like Teal Day and Denim Day.