** Dr. Sharyn Potter and Professor Jane Stapleton, co-directors of the University of New Hampshire Prevention Innovations Research Center briefed Congressional Staff on behalf of Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence**

**Nearly 100 Congressional Staffers Attended Briefing**

High Resolution Version of the photo is available here. 

Today Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, organized a briefing for congressional staff on best practices in sexual and relationship violence prevention and response. The briefing featured the work of the University of New Hampshire Prevention Innovations Research Center co-directors, Dr. Sharyn Potter and Professor Jane Stapleton.

“The University of New Hampshire is doing incredible work to identify effective techniques to prevent sexual violence on their campus and campuses across the country,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “It’s important that as Congress considers policies to reduce sexual assault and sexual violence, our staff learns from the foremost experts in this field about what they’ve gathered in their research. I appreciate Dr. Potter and Professor Stapleton taking the time to educate my staff and the staff of other offices today. As the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence continues to grow, evidence-based prevention strategies, such as those promoted by Dr. Potter and Professor Stapleton, will be at the center of our approach.”

High Resolution Version of the photo is here. 

“We were honored to speak with Congressional staff members today at the briefing organized by Congresswoman Kuster and her colleagues on the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence,” said Dr. Potter and Professor Stapleton. “We are particularly encouraged by the Task Force’s emphasis on prevention and response in all sectors of society, ranging from K-12 education, post-secondary education, the military and law enforcement. This approach is supported by the UNH Prevention Innovations Research Center’s work that demonstrates the need for comprehensive, research informed and evidence-based prevention and response. We feel fortunate to have such a strong commitment from Congresswoman Kuster and her staff members.”

The UNH Prevention Innovations Research Center is a national leader in improving the response to sexual violence on college campuses.

The directors highlighted the importance of evidenced-based prevention and described the landscape that colleges and universities face as they try to meet federal, and in some cases state, mandates. During the briefing, the directors emphasized the importance and need for research informed prevention and response.

The Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, led by Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH), Patrick Meehan (R-PA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), and David Joyce (R-OH), is raising awareness and proposing solutions to the challenges posed by sexual assault. The Task Force’s areas of focus include: K-12 education, campus sexual violence, the rape kit backlog, military sexual trauma, improved data and collection, online harassment, and law enforcement training.

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