“So many problems and misconceptions about sexual assault do start in high school.” This sentiment, voiced by Annabess Ehrhardt, the training coordinator for Emory University’s Sexual Assault Peer Advocates (SAPA), is one of the driving forces behind the program’s emphasis on prevention and education.

SAPA, which is led and made up of Emory University students, is working to prevent incidents of sexual assault by educating students and encouraging them to become peer advocates on campus.  

On Feb. 6, members of SAPA met with the VOX Investigates team to discuss the importance of educating teens and young adults about sexual assault and healthy relationships.  

According to Becca Woofter, president of SAPA, “Students who come into Emory with more education at the high school level can be better advocates and better inform students and partners on campus.”  

Ehrhardt, meanwhile, stressed the importance of programs that educate teens on the topic of sexual assault, saying, “It’s really important for … people who are more educated on the subject to be able to share that knowledge with high school students, who can then pass it on to other high school students in order for them to become more aware of these issues.”

To learn more about preventing sexual assault and dating violence, join VOX at the Partnership to End Domestic Violence’s Teen Summit, Saturday March 5. Click here for registration information. It’s free!