DISCUS, Women of Vine & Spirits Launch Free Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Training

Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. launched an ongoing training series to prevent harassment in the alcohol beverage industry. We condemn the perpetuation of harassment of any kind and stand in solidarity with those who have been impacted.

RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, will provide their community and the industry as a whole with trauma-informed education to increase awareness around sexual misconduct and strategies for prevention. This customized training funded by WOTVS, held in April 2021, was open to the public and covered topics such as bystander intervention, how the brain processes trauma, and sexual violence and harassment prevention and response.

With the goal of providing trainings with RAINN as part of an ongoing initiative to support those in the alcohol beverage industry, we committed to join WOTVS in the effort to fund additional training and education.

Through this partnership, RAINN will provide multiple training sessions tailored for all sectors across all tiers of the alcohol beverage industry. Each level of the training will be held five times on the WOTVS platform and will be open to the public.

Level 1: Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Training: Participants will be educated on the complexities of sexual misconduct, with an emphasis on addressing misconceptions, understanding the role that participants play in shaping healthy communities, and identifying resources for those directly and indirectly impacted by these issues.

Level 2: Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Training: Strategies for Creating Safe, Healthier Communities. Building on the education and skills learned in Level 1, this segment aims to provide participants with enhanced knowledge and skills around intervention and prevention strategies for creating safer, healthier communities.

Participants will receive a resource guide that bridges the gap between the concepts discussed and actionable skills specific to roles of prevention and response.

The sessions are:

Monday, June 28: 9am PST/ 12pm EST 

Wednesday, July 14: 12pm PST / 3pm EST  

Wednesday, August 25: 7:30am PST/ 10:30am EST  

Wednesday, September 22: 9am PST / 12pm EST  

Monday, October 4: 12pm PST / 3pm EST 

In announcing the series, DISCUS added that “If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provides free, anonymous 24/7 support via phone at 800.656.4673 or chat via the online hotline. RAINN’s website (www.rainn.org) also provides information on supporting loved ones who are survivors, helping yourself heal if you’ve been directly affected by sexual violence, and how to be part of creating safer communities.