What Each of Us Can Do To Work Toward Ending Sexual Violence Talk with friends about social issues/pressures and what each of us can do to work toward ending sexual violence. SPEAK UP. If a friend, classmate or teammate is disrespectful or abusive to others – speak up. Try to talk with your friend and urge him or her to seek help. If you don’t know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, a counselor, or residence life staff. Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate violence, and work toward changing them. Connect with the many resources on campus to assist in this exporation. If you suspect that someone close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, ask if you can help. Learn about the effects of alcohol and/or other drugs on one’s ability to take care of oneself or make sensible decisions. Seek professional help NOW if you are emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually abusive to others, or have been in the past,. (Syracuse Area Resources: Vera House, 425-0818; S.U. Counseling Center, 443-4715; S.U. Goldberg Couple and Family Therapy Center, 443-3023) Be an ally to those who are working to end all forms of violence. Support the efforts of campus and community-based organizations.  Attend “Take Back the Night” rallies and other public events. Be an ally to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by speaking out against anti-gay statements and jokes, using inclusive language (use the words “gay,” “lesbian,” “bisexual,” or “transgender”), using non-gender specific language (ask “are you seeing someone?”), validating people’s gender expression. Support and involve yourself in LGBT organizations and causes. Raise money for rape crisis centers, battered women’s shelters, and other community organizations that work to end violence. If you belong to a team, a fraternity or sorority, or another student group, organize a fundraiser. Join AMI (A Men’s Issue) an organization of men at Syracuse University that is based on the philosophy that sexual violence is a systemic issue that needs to be acknowledged and addressed as a men’s issue. Mentor and teach boys about how to be men in ways that allow men to freely access a full range of emotions and behaviors. Lead by example. Attend programs, take courses, watch films, read articles and books about gender roles and about violence. Educate yourself about LGBT history, culture and concerns. Attend workshops and programs aimed at reducing bias and hate violence and increasing awareness of diversity issues on college campuses. Think before purchasing any magazine, renting any video, subscribing to any web site, or buying any music that portrays people in a sexually degrading or abusive manner.