Safe House
Sexual Abuse Free Environment
In September 2002, Indiana Zeta was declared a SAFE House on Valparaiso University's campus. SAFE stands for Sexual Abuse Free Environment. This recognition was earned by working in cooperation with Valparaiso's SAAFE office. SAAFE (Sexual Assault Awareness Facilitative Education) is an organization that provides peer education as a means to broaden awareness of sexuality and communication issues and aids in the prevention of sexual assault.
Our Dedication to Being SAFE
Indiana Zeta strives to be educated about the issues of sexual assault with which the SAAFE office works. We also strive to maintain our house as a place that commits to the safety and comfort of all individuals who visit us. At all of our public parties, our brothers provide a "SAFE Squad" that supervise our parties to make sure that everyone is SAFE while in our house. After working with the SAAFE office, we were officially declared a SAFE House at the SAAFE dinner in 2002 where we unveiled our SAFE House Declaration which currently hangs on our wall just inside our front door.
The text of our declaration is below:
SAFE HOUSE DECLARATION
The Men of Sigma Phi Epsilon hold to these Standards concerning Sexual Assault:
- We hold to the definition that Sexual Assault is defined as: Forced sexual contact of any kind that is against the victim's will, or involves a victim who is unable to resist or give consent due to the effects of drugs or alcohol. This contact shall include, but is not limited to: forced sexual intercourse, unwanted or unwelcomed sexual comments, unwanted or unwelcomed touching of a sexual nature, or intercourse with a person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Therefore, this Fraternity will operate in such a manner as to exhibit respect, care, and concern for the rights of all people, men or women, to their own physical, mental, emotional, and sexual safety and security. We will not condone any form of abusive behavior of a sexual nature; be it physical, mental, or emotional in nature.
- We hold this standard to each and every member, as well as the chapter as a whole thereof that we will not encourage, support, or participate in any action which in any manner demeans, belittles, or damages another person.
