June 1, 2011

Despite the somewhat negative publicity surrounding the Peace Corps after it criticized a victim of sexual assault, college recruiters do not predict participation will be affected.

Congress held a hearing May 11 as Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The meeting was called due to the recent discovery of cruelty and insensitivity shown to victims of rape and sexual assault.

At the hearing, volunteers such as Jessica Smochek told their stories of abuse and how their supervisors blamed the victims.

“The country director — who never attempted to contact me after I was raped — called a meeting of several women in my former volunteer group and told them, without my permission, what had happened to me,” Smochek said. “Then, he told them that rape was a woman’s fault and that I had caused what happened to me by being out alone after 5 p.m.”

This hearing and prior concern for victims of abuse and assault has led to a strengthened commitment to sexual assault victims within the Peace Corps.

[Reforms to the program in response to the incident](http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1783) include the creation of the Peace Corps Volunteer Sexual Assault Panel to “help design and implement risk reduction and response strategies.”

These amendments have been instituted to protect and support victims of abuse as well as try to remediate the mistreatment of victims, the statement said.

Brett Dinkins, a Stronger Together Against Relationship and Sexual Violence member, said the Peace Corps’ response was insufficient.

“Victims were harassed and mentally abused during their time of trauma,” he said. “Their stories were shared without consent, and they were blamed for something that was never in their control. Blaming the victim is never okay. There is never an excuse to rape, abuse or assault.”

He emphasized the ability of students to make a difference in issues of relationship and sexual violence.

“The RSVP Center serves as a resource to connect these students to personal routes of empowerment and recovery,” he said. “The RSVP Center is not just a reactive entity though. We have constant proactive programming intended to educate the students, faculty and community about issues related to Relationship and Sexual Violence.”

MU’s Peace Corps program takes about 30 volunteers per year, campus recruiter Mike Burden said. More than 900 students have participated through MU in the organization’s 50 years, including Chancellor Brady Deaton.

Burden was out of town and unable to speak to The Maneater on the controversy, but he referred questions to Christine Torres of the Chicago Regional Office.

In recent years, the Peace Corps has accepted 13,000 to 15,000 applicants per year. Because of the constant interest in international outreach and service, she doesn’t predict the numbers will falter in response to the controversy.

Torres said the recruitment process across college campuses as well as in the regional office is based on the recruitment officers, who are former volunteers, and their efforts and conversations with potential volunteers.

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