Groups work to increase sexual assault awareness

By Kathleen Pointer
April 18, 2008

Whether it be that group of four girls sitting on the Francis Quadrangle between classes, that group of four girls congregating in a study room at Ellis library or that group of four girls walking to their sorority’s philanthropy on a Sunday afternoon, statistically, one of those girls in each group will be a victim of sexual assault sometime during her college career.

The Rape Education Office, located on the second floor of Brady Commons, is telling students and Columbia residents statistics about cases of rape and sexual assault, as well as helping to increase prevention.

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is in April, the office held the event Rock Against Rape. In September, which is Rape Awareness Month, the office sponsors Take Back the Night.

“It’s a walk and parade around campus to show that we’re not going to be afraid and that violence against women is wrong,” Rape Education Office coordinator Marian Trattner said. “For one night, we won’t be afraid and have to look over our shoulder or quicken our pace.”

But its mission is not limited to these events. It sponsors educational programs with the help of the MU Police Department and its four on-campus groups: Greek Advocates, Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, Stronger Together Against Rape and Peer Rape Educators.

“I would say it’s a problem. There definitely needs to be more prevention and I’m sure a lot of people don’t know how often it occurs on this campus,” Greek Advocate-in-training Holly Hanover said.

Of all rapes and sexual assaults,

60 percent are not reported to the police.

— Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

In the 2006 Campus Safety and Crime report MUPD stated it does not have an official procedure when it comes to rape and sexual assault cases.

“We have no typical procedure because it is dependent on the person’s needs,” MUPD Capt. Brian Weimer said. “We, of course, get to them as soon as possible and then assess their needs and go from there.”

The number of sexual assault crimes reported is significantly lower than the number of sexual assaults that occur annually, according to the National Institute of Justice.

“We take every report seriously as it comes in,” Weimer said. “But if you look at the numbers in our department, rape is typically not one that is that especially high. “

In the 2006 Campus Safety and Crime Report, only six sexual offenses in and around campus were reported to police. Since 2006, MUPD has released several Clery reports detailing attempted or completed sexual assault on campus. The most recent of the assaults, according the MUPD Web site, occurred in February this year. According to an April 2 news release, MUPD said it later found the victim had not been robbed or assaulted.

The number of rapes that are actually reported is lower than the number that occur, according to information from the National Institute of Justice. The low numbers reflect the prevalence of acquaintance rape, said Joe Hammer, another Rape Education Office coordinator. He said acquaintance rape is less likely to be reported.

“While people might think rape usually involves a stranger, research shows that the victim knows the perpetrator 85 percent of the time,” Hammer said. “They are often classmates, family members, or someone they met at a party. Since they may continue to see this person, they have to think about whether speaking out will compromise their personal safety.”

According to Weimer, sexual assault charges are occasionally retracted. Hammer said he doesn’t believe that these are usually cases of a false claim, as only 2 percent of all violent crimes, including rape, are falsely claimed, according to the Rape Education Office.

“A lot of people assume that a retracted statement means a person is lying,” Hammer said. “This might not (be), and usually isn’t, the case. There are a lot of other things involved.”

He said this includes the fact that an acquaintance could claim sex was consensual and alcohol making memories of the event fuzzy.

College students’ drinking contributes to an average of 97,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year. — The National Institute

of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

On Wednesday evenings, representatives from various Greek houses gather to discuss the issue of rape and sexual assault in their community. The advocates go through weekly training at 8 p.m. Wednesdays in the Rape Education Office. At the April 9 meeting, the advocates went through a simulation process about how to help a friend or fellow Greek community member after sexual assault. The advocates are being trained to help on a personal level but also to be able to give presentations to their houses about the issue.

“There is national research that shows that rape and sexual assault can be more prevalent in Greek communities, but there are of course a lot of factors involved here,” Hammer said. “We know that drugs and alcohol play a big part in rape and sexual assault, and we know that alcohol is very prevalent on college campuses and very frequently in the Greek community.”

The idea behind GA’s is similar to MARS in that a person is more receptive to the message when it comes from someone who understands their community.

“I think it’s important to have a group for the Greek community, and we’re in the system, and we’re kind of at the core of the issues,” said Holly Hanover of the Phi Mu sorority. “We know more of the people in Greek organization and we’re well-acquainted with how things happen and the kind of events that go on.”

An integral part of the presentations include discussing the involvement of alcohol and the consent language.

“We talk about how the definition of consent and rape are totally askew,” Hanover said.

She said the presentation usually includes information on rape culture and language.

A study showed that 9 out of 10 sexual assault victims knew the person who sexually victimized them. — National Institute of Justice

Rape is an issue that can lead to uncomfortable silence, but at 7 p.m. Tuesday evenings, men such as Hammer and Peer Rape Educator Kourtney Mitchell gather with a small group of other guys to talk about the issue head on. Hammer and Mitchell are members of Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault.

The conversation doesn’t follow a strict outline. Instead, attendees talk about what they can do to open the dialogue among men about their responsibility in the prevalence of sexual assault against women.

“A lot of people think ‘Oh, rape and sexual assault is a women’s issue,’ but they’re forgetting who does sexual assault,” Hammer said. “Over 99 percent of attackers are men. What’s going on here? And while 11 out of 12 guys don’t participate in sexual assault, they forget that they are part of a male culture that perpetuates it.”

The group comes together to discuss that male culture and the difficulties in overcoming it. In a culture that encourages patriarchy and sexism, it is important for men to talk to other men about these issues, Mitchell said.

“It’s important because guys need to know that this limited image of masculinity contributes to the overwhelming problem of rape,” Mitchell said. “It’s liberating for a male to say ‘I don’t have to be Mr. G.I. Joe, making jokes about girls. I can openly care about women.”

He said men can have friends and family affected by sexual assault and that it’s important to break violent masculine stereotypes.

To foster dialogue, MARS has sponsored a campus screening of “Boyz n the Hood,” followed by discussion on issues of masculinity and sexist culture. They also recently gave a presentation to a local college’s football team about sexual assault.

“It’s important to talk to men because they have to be the ones who stop rape,” Hammer said. “Nothing a survivor does asks for rape.”

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