Sexual assault rates on college campuses in the United States have been skyrocketing in recent years.
Every 21 hours, there is a rape on a college campus, and one out of every four college women has been sexually assaulted at some point during their college careers. In over one-third of the cases reported, the assailant was someone the victim knew.
ETSU has not been spared. In 2001, over 200 ETSU students were victims of sexual violence.
Prevention is the No. 1 way to stop sexual assaults. Anyone can be a victim, and should know the proper steps to help thwart an attack.
“The key to preventing violence against women lies in changing our cultural norms that justify and excuse such acts,” said Laura Jones, assistant coordinator of Campus Advocates Against Sexual Violence.
“People always ask, ‘Why do the women stay in violent relationships or why was the rape victim wearing that?'” she said. “These are unwarranted and uneducated questions. What people need to ask is why assailants take it upon themselves to hit, to abuse, to sexually violate, and to control.”
The Fall River Police Department in Massachusetts posted these prevention tips on its web site:
1) Stay in well-lit areas and avoid pillars, alleyways, shrubbery or any place a sexual offender may be hiding.
2) If stopped on the street for directions, give your answers from a safe distance. Never get close to the car.
3) If traveling, plan your route ahead of time and stay on well-lit roads.
4) If your car breaks down, open the hood and turn on the hazard lights. If someone stops to help, stay in your locked car and ask them to call the police or a garage.
5) Travel in groups. There is safety in numbers.
6) In elevators, stand next to the control panel. If you are attacked, hit the emergency alarm and every other button you can reach.
Passive or active resistance may also help prevent a full-on attack after a sexual assault attempt is underway. Passive assault includes trying to calm the attacker, discouraging the attacker by crying, pretending to faint or by acting insane, or telling the attacker someone is coming for you soon.
Active resistance should be exercised with caution and should never be used when faced with a knife or gun. Active resistance includes hits or kicks to vulnerable areas on the body (a poke in the eyes, kicks to the groin, or a stomp to the instep). Screaming loudly may also frighten away your attacker if he or she fears someone may come to help.
If a rape does occur despite precautions, the ETSU Counseling Center would like to give survivors these tips:
1) Go to a safe place immediately after the attack, such as a friend’s house or to the police station.
2) Report the crime immediately and try to preserve physical evidence by not showering or changing your clothes.
3) Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
4) Write down as much as you can remember about your attacker if you are going to press charges. This will be helpful to the police.
5) Get counseling. The center has a counselor on staff that specializes in sexual assault and can help get you through this difficult time.
“The majority of rapes are never reported out of fear, embarrassment or guilt,” Jones said.
“It is never the fault of the survivor. The sooner you can seek medical treatment, the more likely it is that the person who violated you can be stopped from future acts of violence.”
For more information and tips on how to prevent a sexual assault, go to the Fall River Police Department web site at www.frpd.org/cppu/assault.htm.
If you would like to help out with Campus Advocates against Sexual Violence (CAASV), volunteer for an upcoming event, or if you are a victim of violence, contact the ETSU Counseling Center 439-4841.

Author