MU, community team up against sexual assault

Local organizations raised money for The Shelter.

By Trevor Eischen

Published April 13, 2009

Students and community members unite to fight against and prevent sexual assault this month as part of the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In a written proclamation by President Barack Obama, which announced the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2009, the president wrote how sexual assault is a problem affecting all areas of the nation and many different age groups.

"Sexual assault is pervasive in the United States," Obama said. "Study after study has shown that this crime impacts people of all levels and in every part of the nation."

Campus organizations, including Stronger Together Against Relationship and Sexual Violence, Men Against Relationship and Sexual Violence, Peer Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Educators and Greek Advocates are teaming up with community groups, such as The Shelter to provide activities and events for MU's observance of the month.

The Shelter provides emergency care and services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Along with immediate care and service, The Shelter also supplies the means for victims to reconstruct life after a traumatizing experience.

The Shelter spokeswoman Brenda Baker said the most important prevention method against sexual violence is communication.

"There are many, many statistics about sexual assault," Baker said. "Sexual assault is not going to go away. We need to talk about it. We can't stop sexual assault if we can't talk about it."

Baker said nearly 11 out of 12 men would never commit an act of sexual assault. The problem lies in the lack of support from community members, bystanders and others.

The Shelter's Web site devotes an entire page to sexual violence statistics. At least one in four woman will fall victim to sexual assault in their lifetime and 84 percent of all rape victims don't even report the crimes against them.

Hannah Bush, co-coordinator for the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention center, said she advocates activity in the prevention of sexual assault. As a representative of RSVP, she extends the services of the center to present and future victims.

"If students have been affected by rape and sexual assault, relationship violence, or stalking or don't even know what has happened to them, and want resources and help navigating what has happened, we are here and would love to help," Bush said in an e-mail.

Bush said myths about rape and sexual violence impede respectful acknowledgment of a startling problem, and determining fact from myth is the first step to solving the issue.

"Rape myths are defined as damaging, stereotyped, false beliefs about rape," Bush said. "These beliefs are absolutely incorrect. They are sometimes spread because it is easier for people to believe that the survivor must have done something to deserve being raped/sexually assaulted so that they feel safer."

Sexual violence is not only limited to women. Bush said one in every 14 men have been physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner.

Various events throughout the month strive to educate and inform MU students. The month ends with Rock Against Rape at the Cherry Street Artisan. All proceeds from the event go directly to The Shelter and to the LEAD Institute, a non-profit organization committed to providing services to deaf and hard of hearing people in Missouri.