Program Overview 

The Violence Prevention Team provides campus-wide prevention education, student leadership development, assessment, and collaborative programming aimed at reducing sexual and relationship violence and promoting healthy behaviors. Through workshops, training, outreach initiatives, awareness campaigns, and campus partnerships, the team supports a coordinated approach to violence prevention across the University. These efforts help strengthen campus safety, increase awareness of prevention strategies and resources, and foster a campus environment that supports well-being, respect, and positive community connections.

Workshops & Training

The Violence Prevention Team offers four core workshops designed to build knowledge, skills, and confidence around violence prevention including: Healthy Relationships, Enthusiastic Consent, Bystander Intervention for Preventing Sexual Violence, and Challenging Harm, Normalizing Care. These interactive educational programs can be tailored to meet the needs of different audiences and are available to student organizations, student groups, residence halls, academic classes, departments, faculty, staff, and community groups. Workshop requests are welcomed throughout the academic year and for summer programming, providing opportunities for campus and community partners to engage in meaningful conversations and prevention-focused learning that supports individual and community well-being.

Workshops are scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance and are designed to run for 60-90 minutes. Workshops can be facilitated in-person or virtually. 

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Bystander Intervention for Preventing Sexual Violence Workshop

Bystander Intervention to Prevent Sexual Violence (BIPSV) helps participants recognize the early warning signs of sexual violence, understand common barriers that prevent people from taking action, and develop practical skills for safely intervening in situations of potential harm. Through discussion, interactive activities, and realistic scenarios, participants learn a range of bystander intervention strategies, including the 5 D’s of intervention and 12 practical techniques that can be used in everyday situations. The workshop emphasizes how individual actions can contribute to a safer community and provides opportunities to practice new skills in a supportive group setting. Participants leave with increased confidence, knowledge, and tools to recognize harm and intervene effectively.

Healthy Relationships Workshop

Healthy Relationships examines the factors that shape how people build and experience relationships. Participants learn to identify the characteristics of healthy, unhealthy, and potentially harmful relationship dynamics while exploring the role of respect, trust, communication, and boundaries in fostering positive connections. Through discussion, reflection, and interactive activities, the workshop develops practical skills for setting and maintaining personal boundaries, recognizing relationship warning signs, and engaging in clear, effective communication. Participants have opportunities to practice active communication strategies and apply these skills to real-world scenarios, leaving with tools to build healthier relationships, navigate conflict constructively, and strengthen connections across personal, academic, and professional settings.

Challenging Harm, Normalizing Care Workshop

Challenging Harm, Normalizing Care (CHNC) equips participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize, interrupt, and respond to harmful behaviors in ways that promote safety, accountability, and community well-being. The workshop explores how social norms, culture, and everyday actions influence campus climate and examines the role individuals and groups play in creating environments where safety is the standard. Participants learn strategies for addressing harmful comments, behaviors, and attitudes, providing survivor-centered support to those who have experienced harm, and responding in ways that prioritize empathy, dignity, and healing. Through interactive activities, discussion, and scenario-based practice, participants build confidence in identifying opportunities to intervene, supporting others effectively, and fostering communities rooted in care, accountability, and shared responsibility.

Other Programming

FSL Tiered Violence Prevention Education Program

The Violence Prevention Team coordinates the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) Tiered Violence Prevention Education (VPE) Program, a comprehensive, public health-based prevention initiative that reaches thousands of fraternity and sorority members each year. Designed to build knowledge, skills, and confidence over time, the program requires every member of FSL to participate in one facilitated, interactive workshop annually, with workshop placement determined by years of membership in the FSL community. Each tier builds upon previous learning, creating a progressive educational experience and a shared foundation of prevention knowledge across the FSL community. Workshops are facilitated by trained Certified Peer Educators (CPEs), whose peer-to-peer approach promotes engagement, relevance, and meaningful discussion. For more information, contact the team at ui-violence-prevention@uiowa.edu

The #UIGreenFlagCampaign 

The #UIGreenFlagCampaign, led annually by the Violence Prevention Team, is a campuswide initiative designed to promote healthy, respectful, and fulfilling relationships among University of Iowa students. Rather than focusing solely on warning signs (“red flags”), the campaign intentionally centers “green flags”—positive behaviors such as respect, open communication, trust, accountability, shared decision-making, and emotional safety. 

Launched each year during Valentine’s week, the campaign provides students with practical, strengths-based tools to recognize and practice healthy relationship behaviors in romantic relationships, friendships, and campus communities. Through visible, accessible, and engaging programming, Green Flag reframes relationship education as proactive, empowering, and skill-building.  Each year, the campaign engages hundreds of students in person and reaches thousands more online. Its continued growth and campus recognition demonstrate strong student interest in affirming, prevention-focused conversations about relationships. The #UIGreenFlagCampaign has become a signature initiative supporting student well-being and fostering a culture of respect at Iowa.

Raise the Bar

Raise the Bar (RTB) is a training opportunity for local bar staff to gain knowledge on sexual assault dynamics, red flags, and how alcohol is used to facilitate sexual violence. This training teaches bystander intervention skills with the goal of developing a coordinated response to prevent sexual violence. Participants will learn to recognize their own barriers to interrupting harm and learn strategies to interrupt violence before it happens. Raise the Bar discusses safety/support messages and changes in policy that promote cultural shift in settings that serve alcohol. This program is led by the Violence Prevention Team. For more information, contact the team at ui-violence-prevention@uiowa.edu

Adapted from the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and Collective Action for Safe Spaces.