Being a victim of sexual assault is frightening, and ETSU sponsors a few programs that can help students overcome this especially personal trauma.
Campus Advocates Against Sexual Violence is an on-campus organization on a mission to help prevent sexual violence, as well as help those who were victims deal with their experience.
“It is very common for women not to report it,” said Kim Bushore-Maki, coordinator of CAASV. “Some don’t even realize what happened to them is a crime, and a lot of them choose not to view it like that . they are scared . if they report it, they might have to take action.
“Some women have heard from people that even if you report it, nothing is done anyway,” Bushore-Maki said.
An anonymous female victiM said “I was more embarrassed than anything. I didn’t think I could talk to my parents at that time, and I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to be an outcast.”
ETSU’s Counseling Center and CAASV work together to assist victims like this one, as well as prevent events like hers from occurring.
“We started in 1996 and since we are federally funded, we must be pro-active,” Bushore-Maki said. “Our philosophy is that if we simply respond to survivors, it’s not going to change the fact that people are being raped every day . people must be educated.”
In addition to the counseling center, a Rape Crisis center is located in Johnson City. There, volunteers can take a 40-hour training course to become a “rape companion.
These companions are on-call for when the rape victim needs support, someone to accompany them to the doctor or to call people for them.
ETSU also makes it possible for women to attend defense classes – Rape Agression Defense (RAD) training – to help them in case of an attack, or just to help them feel safer.
“The RAD classes are off-campus and led by Jon Walker. We appreciate that he does this and we couldn’t do it without him,” Bushore-Maki said. “It’s taken a long time to get it near this campus, and I hope that someone one day on campus could be trained to teach it.”
The classes are for women only, and are different from the regular self-defense classes offered at ETSU. “RAD is special strategies for defense, while the self defense classes are short term defenses,” Bushore-Maki said.
The counseling center also employs peer educators-volunteers who are trained to help present, plan and participate in programs designed to make students aware of prevention tips and ways to take action in their community.
The annual Take Back the Night rally is one of these programs.
This rally, scheduled this year for March 26, encourages women to be unafraid, know that their attack was not their fault and to “take back the night” for themselves and all victims.
A visiting group from Washington, D.C., will host another preventative program on March 6 entitled “Men Can Stop Rape.” This workshop is for men only, by invitation.
“Some people have sexist attitudes and make people think that violence is okay,” Bushore-Maki said. “This year, and all the time, we need men’s help to stop this.”
For more information on these events or to contact a counselor, call 439-8346 or 439-4841.

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