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SCREAM Theater
Students
Challenging Reality and Educating
Against Myths |
Traditionally,
educators have addressed issues of interpersonal violence by informing
potential victims what they can do to prevent violence from occurring.
In colleges and universities across the country, this approach has been
replaced by a more proactive one that examines the behaviors, attitudes
and beliefs that support and encourage the occurrence of violence. By
taking a more proactive approach and challenging people to change those
belief systems, we work towards stopping the violence from occurring.
SCREAM Theater began
in 1991 as a response to the University President's mandate that every
incoming first-year-student participate in a program on sexual assault.
Educators at Rutgers developed an innovative model for teaching students
about sexual violence. This interactive program, created by the Office of
Sexual Assault Services and the Department of Health Education, combined
the elements of peer education and theater to produce a unique, exciting
educational program. The goals of the theater program were:
- to educate students
about sexual violence,
- to promote critical
thinking and values clarification,
- to encourage
positive peer pressure on students for healthy behavior choices,
- to reach the people
who needed to hear this message, and
- to use peers to
deliver the message.
SCREAM began to
perform for all orientation programs, reaching about 5,000 students
annually. Since 1992, all incoming students have been required to view a
SCREAM Theater program at New Student Orientation. By year two, outreach
expanded to include Greek and athletic audiences, high schools, and
audiences nationwide. Since then, the program has grown to become a
comprehensive educational tool that explores a broad range of
interpersonal violence issues including: sexual assault, dating violence,
same sex violence, stalking, peer sexual harassment, and bullying. The
program currently performs for approximately 70 audiences each year.
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