Mike DomitrzPresident, Author, and Speaker on Respect, The Center for Respect, Inc. · Author & Speaker on Respect for Schools, Corporations, & the Military since 1990 (has reached

Why you shouldn't mock training you receive.

8 Apr 2024 · 1 min

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In this monologue, the speaker recounts incidents from SAPR (Sexual Assault Prevention and Response) training where audience members, including two men, made mocking jokes about the seriousness of sexual assault, treating it as a topic that only affects women. One attendee later emailed the speaker, expressing that he felt unable to discuss the experience with his friends because they seemed unable to handle it maturely. The speaker contrasts this with a hypothetical supportive response, emphasizing how empathy and solidarity could have provided the individual with immediate help. The overall message urges listeners to avoid dismissive humor in such trainings and to respond with understanding, highlighting the importance of creating a supportive environment for survivors seeking help.

Chapters

I've seen people walk out of SAPR trainings and make comments like, particularly 2 people identified as males, and one going, does it happen to you? As a joke, as if it only happens to women. So you go, well, how did you know that happened? One, I heard it. And then 2, I've had moments like this where someone emailed me afterwards and said, hey, Mike, I was in the audience today. And when we were leaving, somebody joked whether it was me. It was. And now I know I can't turn to my best friends and ever talk about this because they can't handle it. They can't be mature enough. Not the lesson he was hoping to learn about his friends. Now, he reached out to say, where can I get support? So that's great. But think about if that friend instead had gone, hey, man, that could have been any of us at any point in life. No, we're here for each other. How different that conversation would have gone and how much more supported he would have been in that moment.