UC Berkeley Students: 'Yes Means Yes' Law Already Making An Impact
BERKELEY (KPIX 5) -- New parties, new encounters and new hookups: A new semester has started at Cal. But this year, some college guys are thinking twice about making that move, after lawmakers recently approved the affirmative consent or "yes means yes" law.
"I think that with the huge negative attention that's on campus right now, even just talking to a drunk girl could be perceived as being a sexual predator," said Scott Gisel, a junior at UC Berkeley.
Gisel, who is also a Kappa Alpha fraternity member, said the school is paying attention to sexual violence prevention, and so is he. "Ruining the reputation of my fraternity, I do not want to ruin that. I do not want to ruin my chance of getting any future jobs. It's not necessarily that I'm scared but it is kind of a fear that the smallest slip up could ruin my life," he said.
New this year, freshmen went to a mandatory workshop at orientation to learn about sexual violence.
"We certainly don't want people to feel paranoid or anxious about relationships but to have a heightened awareness," said Cathy Kodama, director of University Health Services.
There's no getting around the new "yes means yes" law, which makes California the first state to define sexual consent as a conscious, voluntary agreement.
"Knowing how to ask and communicate with your partner, potential partners and making good decisions in terms of what kinds of activities you want to proceed with, I hope that it does make that kind of change," Kodama said.
Some students say it's time for guys to grow up.
"In high school it was one thing to date someone but in college it almost feels like it's a sport for guys, which is really kind of scary sometimes," said Elizabeth Pelton, also a student at Cal.
Some students have noticed a change in behavior at parties.
"I see people being more respectful of both genders all the time," said Cal student Nick Firmani. "Less obvert flirting. No blatant like slapping a girl on the ass, none of that anymore."
Student Monica Chitre told KPIX 5, "There is a population that kind of takes it all as a joke. But I do feel that there's a shift and there's a lot of pressure from other guys saying 'No bro, that's not cool or anything.'"
Most men on college campuses aren't out to harm women. But for those that cross the line, it may take more than sex abuse education to change risky behavior.
"Whatever video they watch is not going to change how they're going to act regardless because the guys who are acting like a------s are going to stay a------s , " student Troy Oats said. "And guys who act like gentlemen are going to stay gentlemen."
UC Berkeley is one of 55 schools under federal investigation for the way it handles sexual assault allegations by their students.
This fall, UC officials announced a systemwide effort to combat sex crimes. It includes mandatory training for all faculty and staff at its 10 campuses. The new standards are supposed to be in place by next summer.
