The evolution of advocacy
April 12, 1973 was a day that completely altered the direction of Steve Thompson’s life.
Now the Sexual Assault Services coordinator and adviser for Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates at Central Michigan University, Thompson has dedicated his life to combatting all forms of sexual aggression.
Around that time, Thompson was attending college when he learned there was a rapist in town. Having experience in self-defense, Thompson started a class for women to learn self-defense techniques.
“I taught them what I thought to be appropriate,” Thompson said.
To contact SAPA, call (989) 774-2255. SAPA's online chat service can be found by searching "SAPA" on cmich.edu.
On April 12, a woman who had been taking the class approached Thompson, confiding in him that the rapist had sexually assaulted her. She told him she did everything he taught her, and it didn’t work.
“That was the first voice of a survivor I heard, and I still hear her every day,” Thompson said.
Because of this experience, Thompson ventured around the country conducting research and interviewing rapists to find out exactly who they were.
When he was hired at CMU, Thompson saw a lack of cohesion in dealing with sexual aggression.
“There was a disjointed approach to sexual assault,” he said. “There were good intentions but no coordination, and we needed peer-to-peer advocates because it would make students more likely to report."
After being hired as the Sexual Assault Services coordinator, Thompson was given approval to start SAPA, which is now an internationally-recognized program.
SAPA runs a 24-hour crisis hotline for survivors and secondary survivors of sexual assault. Along with the hotline, they run SAPA Chat, put on programming throughout the year and are most widely known for the performances during student orientations, titled “No Zebras, No Excuses.”
While SAPA is known across campus, the organization evolved since it started in 1997.
September 1996: Sexual Assault Services was created as a division of CMU's Counseling Center. "Before there was a disjointed approach to sexual assault, "Thompson said. "There were good intentions but no coordination. We needed peer-to-peer advocates because it would make students more likely to report."
October 1996: Steve Thompson was hired as the Sexual Assault Services Coordinator.
January 1997: Thompson received the approval to start Sexual Assault Peer Advocates.
February 1997: The first group of applicants were interviewed to be advocates for SAPA. 12 female students were accepted.
April 1997: The first 40 hour training of the advocates was conducted by the Women's Aid Shelter of Mount Pleasant. Nationally, the average training for peer advocates is 16 hours, Thompson said.
September 1997: SAPA's 24-hour hotline was established and the advocates became active on campus. They could be reached through pagers. In the same month, all the advocates switched to cell phones. The first new student orientation program was performed called "It Can Happen to You." The cast consisted of theater students.
November 1997: CMU's procedures and policies for responding to sexual assault were written. This policy gave limits of confidentiality to the Residence Life staff.
March 1998: Thompson and members of SAPA attended their first national conference in Wisconsin. "SAPA was a major point of interest at the conference," he said. "Other universities didn't have confidential peer advocates."
August 1998: SAPA expanded to 24 active advocates. All new students to CMU were required to attend the orientation program, "It Can Happen To You." Some of the SAPAs were cast members. "That changed because survivors often wanted to talk after the performance, so they went to the actors," Thompson said. "We realized that was a disaster because the actors weren't trained to talk to survivors."
November 1998: SAPA established Safe Rides using a grant from The Tribe to use vans. These vans went downtown and took students from the bars back to campus. The CMU Police Department gave SAPA used police cars. "The cars don't go off campus anymore, but it's still a great service that CMU provides," Thompson said. "The cars a a presence and make for a safer campus."
Fall 1999: Seven men were interviewed and accepted as the first group of "1 in 4: Men Empowering Men."
Fall 2000: Men accepted into SAPA were invited into training to allow them confidentiality, but were not allowed to carry the phones. "Zebra" terminology was established and would later be used for SAPA's biggest program "No Zebras, No Excuses."
Spring 2001: Men in SAPA presented at the U.S. Naval Academy. SAPA presented four programs to the navy and each naval class was required to be there. "It was unreal," Thompson said. "It was the biggest program SAPA had done at the time."
Fall 2001: Men were officially allowed to be SAPAs. This meant they could present in SAPA programming and assist survivors, but they could not talk on the phones to survivors. "I didn't think when a survivor called they would want to hear a man's voice," Thompson said.
2003: SAPA was involved with establishing Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at Central Michigan Community Hospital. This allowed survivors to have professional examiners if they needed to visit the hospital. This grant has since expired. SAPA is working on getting it back.
2004: SAPA changed its name to Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates. Thompson said the new name encompasses more of what they do, because there is often an evolution of incidents before sexual assault.
2005: SAPA's membership increased to 40 advocates. Their confidentiality model became required for all military branches. Prior to this, all survivors who disclosed in the military were required to take part in an investigation. This came from Thomspon speaking at the U.S. Coast Guard. "The first time I went, I was literally bombarded with survivors," he said. "I realized they can't talk to anyone if they didn't want to go through a whole investigation." A commander from the pentagon happened to be there, and Thompson explain more people would report if they could do so confidentially. That same commander lobbied at the Pentagon and the Department of Defense proposed legislation that passed. Now every military installation uses SAPA's model for confidentiality.
2006: SAPA Chat, an online messaging system for survivors who feel more comfortable speaking that way, was started.
2007: In 2007, more SAPA programs were presented than any other year. They also established "Safe Room," a short-term, temporary housing for those who need alternative shelter due to experiences with sexual aggression.
2008: Members of SAPA had their first Safe Zone training, to learn how to be more inclusive for LGBTQ survivors.
2009: The first "Walk a Mile In Her Shoes" was organized. This annual event, where men put on high heels and walk a mile, raises money for survivors of sexual aggression.
2012: Department of the Navy asked SAPA to present "No Zebras, No Excuses" in Japan, Virginia, Texas, Hawaii and aboard an aircraft carrier in San Diego. Students new to CMU are required to attend this performance that has now been seen all over the world.
2013: SAPA changed their protocol to allow men to carry the phones and answer the crisis line. Thompson thought survivors would not respond well to hearing a man on the phone, but he was wrong. "It didn't make a damn bit of difference," he said.
2014 on: Currently, SAPA has 45 active advocates. Each advocate goes through about 50 hours of training before being put on a phone. Along with running their crisis line and SAPA Chat, SAPA puts on a variety of programs every year to educate campus and beyond about their roles in stopping sexual aggression. "Everything we do is a reaction to something," Thompson said. "We are fulfilling a need."
