By Sophia Herndon

The Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health began a study last week that aims to prevent sexual violence against transgender and nonbinary individuals on campus. 

Sarah Peitzmeier, the study’s principal investigator and an associate professor at the school, recently opened enrollment to undergraduate students to participate in the study.

“The goal of the study is to develop the first program that will be proven to successfully prevent sexual assault against trans and nonbinary undergraduates,” Peitzmeier said.

For eight years, Peitzmeier has conducted research and surveyed transgender and nonbinary students to understand the forms of sexual violence they have experienced. After almost a decade, she and her team have now finally rolled out the program.

The study, known as the TEA3 Project, will work to develop an online sexual assault prevention program. Participants will learn self-defense techniques and will receive compensation for contributing to surveys, according to the project’s website. 

The TEA3 Project is run by peer facilitators who identify as transgender or nonbinary and includes five three-hour sessions, with the team running five groups over the course of the academic year. They will collect feedback from participants after concluding each study.

Bella Rios, a facilitator and Ph.D. student in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, joined the project to continue working with Peitzmeier and feels passionate about the safety of the transgender and nonbinary community.

“We do have a right to defend ourselves,” Rios said. “We do have a right to be safe on campus and in our social spaces.”

Peitzmeier previously worked on a similar project with cisgender women as participants, and felt encouraged to do the same study with nonbinary and transgender individuals. According to Peitzmeier, in the year after the study, there was a 50% decrease in sexual assaults among women who participated in the study compared to women who did not.

The School of Public Health’s research coordinator, Michelle Choi, is the project coordinator for the TEA3 Project. She worked with Peitzmeier on the previous study and is hopeful to prevent violence against more undergraduate students.

“So many trans and nonbinary young adults experience sexual assault in college, yet there is no intervention specifically designed for this community,” Choi said.

She expressed excitement about working on the project and is hopeful to make a lasting impact on the community.

“I hope whoever joins this study leaves with an increased sense of confidence and empowerment,” Choi said. “I want them to feel safe and powerful within themselves, but also to have fun and gain a community.”

Choi explained that, in addition to ensuring safety for this community, the study is a great way to meet other transgender and nonbinary students on campus.

The team is currently looking for students to participate in the study. To join or learn more, students can visit the TEA3 Project website.

“I’m really thrilled that we’re finally in the position to put all of these puzzle pieces together,” Peitzmeier said.

Featured Image: Main Entrance to the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland in College Park. Photo by Megan Tervo.