UCLA Fielding School of Public Health to co-host discussion on sexual violence prevention in sports

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and UC Speaks Up (a public health violence prevention initiative of the University of California) will co-host an event focusing on sexual violence awareness and prevention among college communities.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. PDT Wednesday, October 14, and include experts from the Fielding School – the academic home of the research underlying the UC Speaks Up effort - and the University of Pennsylvania, organizers said.

“Most student-athletes, particularly women, who experienced sexual abuse told us they decided against reporting the violence because their abuser held more power than they did and/or they feared retaliation – either through loss of playtime/ability to compete or loss of scholarship funding,” said Jennifer Wagman, UCLA Fielding School assistant professor of community health sciences. “This event is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness about these important issues and think critically about solutions.”

Wagman also serves as also director of violence prevention research for the UC Global Health Institute (UCGHI), a UC-wide initiative that stimulates, nurtures, and promotes global health research, education, and collaboration to advance the University’s global health agenda.

The Oct. 14 event will feature a screening of the documentary “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal,” with a discussion panel, including Marci Hamilton, J.D., professor, University of Pennsylvania; and Chrissy Weathersby-Ball and Larissa Boyce, both former Michigan State University student athletes. The panel will be moderated by Kamila Tan (FSPH MPH, ‘20), who played for three years on the UCLA beach volleyball team.

This event is presented by UC Speaks Up, a project of UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, in partnership with Courage First, an abuse prevention initiative from The Foundation for Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films, producers of At the Heart of Gold. Courage First and UC Speaks Up have a shared objective to increase awareness about sexual violence, particularly in college athletics.

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, founded in 1961, is dedicated to enhancing the public's health by conducting innovative research, training future leaders and health professionals from diverse backgrounds, translating research into policy and practice, and serving our local communities and the communities of the nation and the world. The school has 690 students from 25 nations engaged in carrying out the vision of building healthy futures in greater Los Angeles, California, the nation and the world.