It's the first few weeks of the Fall Semester and students have a lot to think about. After buying books and going to class, students also need to be aware of the Red Zone.
College students around the state are currently in the Red Zone, a six-week time frame in the beginning of the Fall Semester with especially high numbers of sexual assaults on college campuses.
Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, but students at Ball State are not alone when dealing with assault.
According to the University Police Department, there were two rape cases and two sexual battery cases in 2010. In 2009, there were two rape cases and seven sexual battery cases.
Sexual assault is any unwelcome sexual contact committed by threat, force or without the consent of the other person.
"The university hopes to lessen the impact of victimization by providing a variety of services including crisis intervention, information, referral and advocacy," said Michele Cole, a victims advocate at Ball State.
Cole not only listens to students; she also provides them with support, help and options.
"Students need to be exposed to sexual-assault realities in an effort to dispel commonly held sexual-assault myths," she said. "With our campaign, we are encouraging everyone to communicate consent and always ask before you act."
Christine Hurst, peer advocate for the Office of Victim Services, said the biggest thing to remember about rape and sexual assault is to try and prevent the incident and never to blame the victim.
"There are things you can do to avoid it, but if something happens, it's not your fault," Hurst said.
She said peer advocates carry around a pager to alert them if a student is brought into Ball Memorial Hospital for sexual assault.
"It's great BSU puts out the awareness and they don't brush it under the rug," she said. "I know they have the blue lights, and hopefully it'll make students feel more secure."
The goal of the Indiana Campus Sexual Assault Primary Prevention Project is to help Indiana colleges and universities educate students about sexual assult. It also tries to prevent the initial occurrence of sexual violence through training and technical assistance, campus coalition building, and grants.
Emily Haas, INCSAPP coordinator, said college students are a group that is at higher risk for sexual violence, which is why the project was started by the state.
"The combination of new students in a new environment in addition to kickoff parties and extra alcohol consumption all contribute to risky situations that may lead to sexual violence," Haas said.
In a 2009 INCSAPP study, almost 31 percent of sexual assault victims were first-year students, with nearly 50 percent living in university housing.
Cole identified the correlation between alcohol, drugs and sexual assault.
"Students should be aware that if a person is intoxicated, he or she cannot legally consent to sex," she said.
On average, at least 50 percent of sexual assaults are associated with alcohol use, according to an article by the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
A study published in the Journal of American College Health found that 11 percent of college women are sexually assaulted when they are incapacitated and unable to provide consent.
A new focus of INCSAPP is to improve "bystander intervention" on Indiana campuses.
Haas said the project plans to focus more heavily on bystander intervention, encouraging students to help their friends and intervene unless it is dangerous for them to do so.
"Intervening can help encourage a campus culture where sexual violence is not tolerated, mainly because students are initiating the change, rather than being passive," she said. "Student action can facilitate a safer campus, as students may follow by example."
What Ball State offers students
- Seeking medical attention immediately (within a few days) of a sexual assault provides the most options in the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, as well as evidence preservation.
- You do not need to make a report to seek medical attention.
- Free medical care is available to students confidentially on campus at the Women's Center and the Health Center and off campus at Ball Memorial Hospital.
- If you decide to have an exam as a result of a sexual assault, you do not have to pay for these services.
- You can have a support person such as a victim advocate or a friend accompany you and make sure you get the services you need.
Know the Facts:
- An estimated 20 to 25 percent of college women are victims of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault during their college years. (National College Women Sexual Victimization Study)
- While the numbers vary from study to study, most research suggests that 10 to 20 percent of all males will be sexually violated at some point in their lives.
- All men and all women, regardless of age, gender, race or sexual orientation, can be victims of sexual assault.
- 97,000 college students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape annually.
- More than 100,000 college students each year report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
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