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St. Cloud State University
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Groups improve awareness
By Beth Kern
Published:
Thursday, April 15, 2004
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and CAASA and the Women's Center have programmed events throughout the month to take a stand against sexual violence.
Tuesday night, CAASA showed "Breaking the Silence," a short video in which two college students share their experiences as victims of sexual assault.
"When I went to college, I only knew the word rape," Allyson White said in the video. "I always thought a rapist was the guy behind the car at night."
"It's a common misconception," Melissa Grittner said in the discussion following the movie.
"The majority of cases are what are known as acquaintance rape," Kathrine Bath said in the video.
"I never thought it would happen to me," Corry Ian, another survivor from the video said.
Statistics show that one in four women are raped at some time in her college career. Most become victims in the first semester of their first year. It is estimated that only one in 25 victims report the crime to the authorities.
According to the video, most non-victims and offenders think of rape as just sex and do not understand why the victim is upset. The fact is that rape is a violent crime and a violent intrusion upon a person's confidence and physical privacy. Rape is a crime that opens the door to a broad assortment of psychological disorders.
"I suffered from panic attacks; anxiety attacks. I couldn't go anywhere by myself anymore," White said.
"Everyday I ask, 'Why do I have to see the world through these lenses?'" Ian said.
Of those victims who survive rape, most suffer from depression, eating disorders, anxiety, insomnia and many other disorders. Many survivors commit suicide.
"Survivors can't do it alone," White said. "Be that support system."
In a brochure available at the program titled "Sexual Assault Protocol, Assisting the Victim," there are a few things that a confidant should know when faced with a victim of sexual assault.
Professional help can be found through the Women's Center, the St. Cloud State University Sexual Violence Prevention Program and the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center's 24-hour crisis line.
Ian said sexual assault education is not only for women.
"I definitely think guys should be involved," Ian said.
Education can be gained from others' experiences, Bath said.
"It's good for young men to learn this from other young men," Bath said. "Not all young men have done this. Some actually want to help."
According to the video, every 1.3 minutes someone is violently raped. However the statistics do not show the victims' daily struggles to live with the scars left by sexual assault.
"It doesn't bother me that much anymore," White said. "[But] I could've been a completely different person if it had never happened."
Find out more
For more information on events remaining in April, contact CAASA via e-mail at
neveranothervictim@yahoo.com
, or the Women's Center by phone at 320-308-4958. Also contact the Women's Center or CAASA for more information concerning sexual assault.
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