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St. Cloud State University
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Sexual assault decreases
By Cathy Kropp
Published:
Thursday, March 25, 2004
The SCSU Women's Center has released the fall Sexual Assault Profile and the report indicates an overall decrease in the number of sexual assaults on campus.
The Women's Center received a total of 11 sexual assault reports between July 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2003.
According to the Women's Center, this is a typical number for a campus the size of SCSU.
While the number of assaults reported has increased compared to the eight reports received fall semester 2002, the number has been declining overall when compared to reports from the last 13 years.
A common misconception is that the majority of sexual assaults are committed by strangers, when in fact the opposite is true, according to the Women's Center. National statistics show that 85 to 90 percent of all rapes are committed by acquaintances. The SCSU report shows that nine of the 11 assaults here were committed by an acquaintance of the victim.
Lee LaDue, assistant director and coordinator of Sexual Assault Services at SCSU, says students need to be aware of the warning signs perpetrators exhibit in order to keep themselves safe. Some of these warning signs include: lack of empathy, being verbally or physically aggressive, acting possessive or jealous, never taking responsibility for their actions and ignoring boundaries.
LaDue said another warning sign, that is somewhat controversial, is when the person believes in traditional gender roles. Because these roles place women in subordinate positions, men who follow these roles may be more likely to cross boundaries because he believes he should be in control.
LaDue also said students need to be careful when attending parties where alcohol is present. According to the SCSU report, drugs or alcohol were involved in six of the assaults.
"Students need to be aware of their drinking limits," LaDue said. "If you are drinking a lot, you won't see the warning signs."
LaDue suggests attending parties with groups of people and then sticking together throughout the party. Getting separated from the group, or attending a party alone, puts women at a higher level of vulnerability. Simply keeping one's eyes open for suspicious behavior is another important step. LaDue points out that students need to assume that there are always going to be perpetrators there and take steps to avoid finding themselves in a harmful situation.
LaDue said there are many reasons why the number of assaults on campus have decreased. One important factor is the raising of awareness through the Respect and Responsibility workshop and the safety alerts that are placed around campus when an assault does occur.
LaDue believes education is crucial in reducing the number of assaults.
Although LaDue said current budget cuts have negatively affected the expansion of Women's Center programs, she has many ideas for future programs. One idea LaDue firmly believes in is the creation of discussion groups on campus to talk about sexuality.
"(High) schools are doing abstinence only education, which leaves women and men so much more vulnerable to abuse because they don't have a base of knowledge about sexuality," LaDue said. "We live in a culture where sex is everywhere, but nowhere is healthy sex discussed."
LaDue said she sees education as a form of empowerment and believes if students are aware of the problem of sexual assault, the number of sexual crimes will continue to decrease.
"The number one precaution that I hear from survivors is 'Never get into the headset that it can't happen to you' because then you won't see the warning signs."
Defense steps
Those interested in learning more about how to protect themselves from sexual assault are welcome to attend rape aggression defense (RAD) class 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the third floor Mitchell Hall lounge.
Cost is $10 and attendees may bring a friend free of charge. The Women's Center asks that people call them at 308-4958 or visit their office to let them know, but walk-ins are also welcome.
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