Being Barnard Violence Prevention Program

Being Barnard is a confidential, multi-faceted office dedicated to prevention, education, and support surrounding issues of sexual & interpersonal violence.

Being Barnard provides the following services:

• Campus-wide programming
  • Topics such as bystander intervention, healthy relationships, consent, healthy sexuality, and much more
  • Learn more about workshop and training opportunities Workshop & Training Opportunities
• Office hours: Thursdays from 1-4 PM in the Wellness Spot (119 Reid Hall)
  • Come in to seek support; ask questions about sexuality, relationships, identity, boundary setting, etc.; seek referrals to on and off-campus resources
• One on One Interpersonal and Sexual Wellness Education Sessions
  • Have questions about

    gender and orientation exploration, setting personal and relationship boundaries, safer sex practices, bystander intervention, thinking about engaging in sexual activity for the first time, safety planning, effects of and life after trauma (i.e. sex, dating), or identity? These 1-hour appointments are a great way to explore those questions and so much more in a shame-free, supportive environment

• Student Group Support
  • Support, resources, & training for student organizations

To schedule a one-on-one appointment, or inquire about student group support, email beingbarnard@barnard.edu

To request a workshop, submit the Google form at least two weeks in advance of the requested workshop date.
 

Resources

Barnard strives to provide numerous health, wellness, violence prevention, and survivor support resources for our students. To learn more about our confidential and non-confidential campus resources as well as valuable off-campus resources and online resources, click the link above. 

Calendar of Events

See what events Being Barnard has coming up and explore our past events.

Clery Internship

In memory of their daughter, Jeanne Clery, alumna Constance Clery (BC’53) and her husband Howard K. Clery designed The Jeanne Clery Internship to support these efforts. The Jeanne Clery Internship is designed to support Barnard students who would like to participate in meaningful gender-based violence prevention work experiences and may not otherwise be able to do so without funding.

Request a Program

Are you interested in having a Being Barnard workshop facilitated for your class, residents, student organization, or department? Workshop topics range from affirmative consent, building and maintaining healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and ways to support those that have experienced violence. 

Student Advisory Team for Violence Prevention and Support

The Being Barnard program is looking for students interested in volunteering to address sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking issues on college campuses and in the community. 

Clery Internship

The Clery intern provides support in promoting awareness of the impacts of power-based violence, skills to prevent it, promoting a culture of consent and healthy relationships, and increasing visibility of institutional resources like Columbia Health Sexual Violence Response and The Wellness Spot Health Promotion Program. The internship is a 1 year paid opportunity funded by Barnard alum Constance Clery (Barnard ’53) and her husband Howard Clery in the memory of their daughter Jeanne Clery.

Learn more and apply here.

Being Barnard is the College’s ongoing sexual violence awareness initiative created with the input of students and staff. Through a comprehensive array of programs offered by Being Barnard staff and numerous campus partners, students can learn skills, engage in discussion, and gain insight & support in the following important social areas: wellness, relationships, intervention, social identities & social power, and violence education. For more information on each of these areas, please read below.

Intervention

We’ve all been in situations where we have seen something or heard something that we knew just wasn’t right. But sometimes we don’t know how to intervene safely or effectively. These programs focus on building skills in bystander intervention, advocacy, and changing social norms so that you can help your community be a safer and healthier place.

Relationships

How do you foster and nurture your relationships with your friends, family, partners, and most importantly, with yourself? These programs focus on relationship building, communication, learning and setting personal boundaries, active and ongoing consent, conflict resolution, and so much more! We’re here to help you learn the tools to build and sustain positive, healthy relationships with yourself and others.

Social Identities & Social Power

Every human being is made up of a complex set of identities: our gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, country of origin, and so much more. The ways in which these identities intersect affect how we are able to walk through the world. These programs focus on the intersections of identities and the personal and social ramifications of power, privilege, and oppression.

Violence Education

Violence can come in many forms - physical, emotional, or verbal. Whether it comes in the form of a microaggression, an unwanted touch, verbal or emotional threats, or physical assault, violence can have far-reaching negative effects on our personal well being and the well being of our communities. These programs focus on recognizing and naming violence in all of its forms, learning the skills and resources to help survivors of violence, unpacking privileges that allow cycles of violence to continue, and advocating for a shift to a society where violence of any kind is no longer threatened or tolerated.

Wellness

How do you take care of your whole self - mentally, physically, and emotionally? Being a student can sometimes be overwhelming and, often, self care is the first thing that falls by the wayside. These programs focus on tending to mental health, sexual health, nutrition, sleep, and even hobbies so that you can learn the skills to balance caring for academics with caring for yourself.
 

* Being Barnard is a constantly evolving initiative that seeks to grow and expand with the needs of our campus community. If you have suggestions for future programming or areas of focus, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your suggestions and comments to BeingBarnard@barnard.edu*

Quickly explore the information available on the Being Barnard page!

What is Consent

Have questions about what consent is (or isn't)? This page gives definitions and links to education.

Bystander Intervention

Learn about the 5 steps to Bystander Intervention, ways to intervene, and how to request a Bystander Intervention program for your organization or department.

Sex and COVID-19

Safer sex guide and communication tips for navigating relationships during COVID-19.

Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships

Healthy Boundaries

On May 30, 2020, Barnard College informed its community that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights had issued a Final Rule under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  The Final Rule defines the meaning of “sexual harassment” (including forms of sex-based violence), describes how schools must respond to reports of misconduct falling within the new definition of sexual harassment, and sets forth a grievance process that schools must follow in these specific covered cases before issuing a disciplinary sanction against a person accused of sexual harassment.

On August 14, despite the repeated objections of many of those institutions — including Barnard — and tens of thousands of individuals, the Final Rule took effect.

To learn more about the Final Rule and what this means at Barnard, please see the Title IX office's extensive, explanatory page. 

If you wish to learn more, please contact Elizabeth Scott-Francis, Barnard’s Director of Non-discrimination & Title IX. Ms. Scott-Francis can be reached by phone at (212)-854-0037 and by email at nondiscrimination@barnard.edu OR escottfr@barnard.edu.

Nondiscrimination and Title IX website, click here