Health and Well-Being

Fall 2016 — Beavers Give a Dam (BGAD) is an evidence-based bystander prevention program that offers customizable workshops for specific Oregon State University communities. These workshops aim to help students develop the skills and confidence needed to intervene before sexual violence occurs.

In the program’s first year, Beavers Give a Dam reached approximately 1,300 students and trained over 50 peer facilitators — including all athletic teams and several fraternities and sororities.

Alyssa Raimer is in her second year of Oregon State’s Master of Public Health program. She has worked closely with BGAD as a peer facilitator. “There is always something that can be done to intervene in a situation that could potentially lead to sexual violence. There isn’t just one right way to intervene; there are lots of different ways,” Raimer said.

After participating in a BGAD workshop, students are able to recognize different types of sexual violence and understand sexual consent — like when it can be given and received. They can also define the bystander effect and identify numerous bystander intervention strategies, as well as locate campus and local resources for sexual violence survivors.

“Everyone has a responsibility to strive toward creating a safe community by looking out for everyone regardless of who they are,” Raimer said. “It’s on all of us to prevent sexual violence.”

Beavers Give a Dam is run out of Student Health Services’ Alcohol, Drug and Violence Prevention Center.