By AMAL TLAIGE
Contributing Writer,
E.J. CARELLA
Contributing Writer,
and VINCENT RULLO
Contributing Writer
Sexual assault on college campuses is a serious national issue. Many universities have underreported sexual assault cases in an effort to save the alleged universities reputation, while the media glamorizes on it.
Due to the many recent lawsuits against sexual offenders on college campuses, a larger movement is currently being made to bring awareness to this national issue. The College of Saint Rose journalism II course has interviewed people who have dealt with sexual assault in many aspects such as the victims, psychologist’s who deal with victims and offenders, members from Albany Police Department, and members of Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center to better understand the issue.
Saint Rose is making an effort to educate its students about sexual assault, in hopes that students will make better decisions to protect themselves and their peers and create a safer college environment.
There are multiple reasons as to why a great deal of sexual assault occurs on college campuses.
“Between wanting to fit in, make new friends and experimenting with alcohol, many students find themselves taking more risks than they would otherwise,” said Cindy Forte, the director of Albany self-defense course known as R.A.D.
She said that alcohol especially can hinder a student’s good judgment and cause the student to end up in dangerous situations.
“They [students] are less able to recognize and protect themselves from danger when they’ve been drinking,” said Forte.
It’s not just college students who are threatened by the dangers that exist in the real world, law officials are aware of how widespread sexual assault is and will go to any length to ensure safety. One officer advises his wife not to be afraid to take a baseball bat to someone if they are attempting to sexually harass her. While many cases of sexual assault leave a victim frozen, Officer Kevin Flynn encourages victims to make a scene, and be loud to scare the perpetrator away.
“Scream at the top of your lungs. Yell ‘no,’” said Flynn who has been an Albany police officer for 16 years. He said that when handling a sexual assault case, he tries to make the victim feel at ease. “The main thing is, protect the victim…the victim is the crime scene.”
The way a police officer handles the situation when called to the scene is very important. If the victim feels as if the police do not believe their story they will not want to cooperate any further. “We comfort them, we want to get them to the hospital,” said Flynn.
Both campus security and Albany Police are trained to be efficient when dealing with sexual assault cases. Flynn said the three steps a police follows when responding to domestic violence and sexual assaults on college campuses is referred to as the “3 C’s,” which are communication, cooperation, and containment.
The first C is Communication. Communication is key, and ultimately decides whether or not a crime has occurred. Many victims do not want to believe they’ve been victim to a crime, and do not call 911. Most calls come from a victim’s friends, so when a sexual assault is reported police handle the matter in a delicate and straightforward manner. Police determine how far they need to go in their investigation.
The second C is Cooperation. The way campus security deals with the victim can affect the police investigation. Campus security and victim cooperation with the police is necessary to reach the victim’s goals.
Working with the district attorney is also crucial for a conviction to take place. “To get a conviction, the district attorney really needs the victim on board,” said Flynn. Without strong physical evidence it’s difficult to prosecute the offender.
The third C is containment. If a crime has occurred, it’s important that police tape off the crime area and keep victims, witnesses, and suspects until police arrive.
“The first thing you tell the victim is, ‘Don’t take a shower’, you have DNA all over you if it’s a sexual assault,” said Flynn. Traces of hair, saliva, sperm, urine, and even blood from an offender could be on the victim’s body. Police advise individuals who were not involved in the incident to stay away from the crime as it can contaminate evidence and make the victim feel uncomfortable.
Victims are offered ambulance transportation, but many choose to get a ride with a friend. At the hospital, the victim will undergo a rape exam to obtain evidence; while it is known to be invasive for the victim, it is a necessary component in obtaining evidence.
In addition, Flynn said the hospital will conduct a toxicology report to look for drugs in the victim’s system. This should be done within 48 hours of the crime because any drugs that could have been placed in the victims system by the offender will be gone.
The toxicology report must be approved by the District Attorney’s Office because it costs around $1000 for each toxicology exam. The results take about six to eight weeks to come back.
Alcohol consumption is a big factor in sexual assault cases.
“Know what your body can handle before you get impaired,” Flynn said. He also advised females to walk with a male they can trust or walk in groups.
“People should stop calling it date rape and start calling it an offender known crime,” said Joe Farrell from New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Sexual assault is not a matter to be taken lightly, and the fact that the media glamorizes it by using terms such as “date rape” makes it seem like less of a crime. Colleges should inform students about sexual assaults on campuses, said Farrell.
The College of Saint Rose is educating students about the issue through the self-defense course the physical education department offers.
“They learn to use their critical thinking skills for planning safe social experiences and discover how they react to their body’s fight, flight, or freeze response in a threat situation,” said Rena Epting, the physical education teacher who teaches self-defense. The course will help students better understand the mental and emotional aspects of using physical force to protect themselves against a violent person. Epting said she also focuses on how important it is for students to think during an attack to decide if resisting or not resisting the attacker is the best method to survive.
“The majority of students do want to learn self-defense in order to alleviate the fear of not knowing what to do if confronted by an attacker or predator. Other students who are victims of physical or sexual assault enroll in the course hoping to regain their self confidence in life,” said Epting.
Students practice physical techniques and verbal skills needed to successfully escape an attacker in the real world. The class uses impact equipment such as body shields, focus pads, and blockers. This will “give students the opportunity to develop their protective blocks, palm, forearm, finger, and knife-hand strikes as well as front, heel, and knee kicks,” said Epting.
Not only do these drills teach students about self-awareness, but it provides students with a hands on approach when put in a dangerous situation. “The impact equipment and drills also give students the opportunity to target vulnerable areas such as eyes, throat, pressure points, and soft tissue,” Epting said. During class, the students are encouraged to use their voice to yell and make a scene for bystanders to notice.
There are other self-defense courses offered in the Capital Region. SUNY Albany offers a free self defense course known as R.A.D (rape, aggression, and defense) for women, men and children, which are taught by certified R.A.D instructors.
The classes use self-defense methods and martial arts techniques as the physical component in their class. Ninety percent of the personal safety that R.A.D teaches is mental, such as awareness, avoiding risks, reducing risks, and recognizing unpredicted risks. The classes are free of charge and are usually taught at SUNY Albany, Saint Rose, community centers, school gyms, and local fitness centers.
Awareness teaches students not to walk around as if they’re free from all dangers and to be alert at all times said Cindy Forte. Students should not have their phones out texting with their head down. This will help them see who and what is around them that could be a potential danger.
Forte wants women to understand that the classes are not difficult and a student does not have to be the most fit person to succeed in self-defense. “We aren’t training women to go ten rounds with their assailant, we’re teaching them moves to help them escape,” she said.
In every class, Forte mentions and encourages bystander intervention. “There is always a way to get involved and help someone in need, it is our collective duty to do so. You can be an active bystander by getting involved, provided it is safe to do so.” While many dangerous situations are prevented when a bystander intervenes, Forte said a bystander should not put himself or herself at risk if they feel uncomfortable doing so. She recommends an easier way for bystanders to get involved by simply calling the police or campus security.
Forte also said that a major component in the R.A.D. course is for women to feel and act confident. Students become victims often times because they look vulnerable, “The other part of the mental change is confidence in ourselves and walking around looking like we can handle ourselves. Don’t look like an easy target,” said Forte.
On college campuses, victims may choose to report an attack or assault to a resident assistant in a dormitory. Resident assistants are trained to prevent, if able, but more importantly they’re taught to console the victim and report the event immediately to their supervisor.
“Every R.A. has been trained and is as ready as they’ll ever be in regards to sexual assault incidents on campus,” said Myles Clendenin, a graduate student and resident assistant at Saint Rose.
“A resident assistant has to keep the victim calm and safe until their supervisor arrives with security. It’s a very serious crime, and the process has to be dealt with quickly and effectively if anything can be accomplished,” said Clendenin.
If a student is sexually assaulted, they can also speak to Dennis McDonald, the vice-president of Saint Rose student affairs and handles many non-academic aspects of college life. If reported to McDonald he is obligated to report the case.
In 2007, the Legal Project partnered with Saint Rose to provide free or reasonable legal services to women who have been sexually assaulted. The Legal Project believes that everyone should have access to legal services. According to their website, the group feels they have “A special commitment to women and others who may face difficulty in obtaining legal assistance.” Saint Rose received a federal grant from the Office of Violence Against Women of the U.S. Department of Justice, which was and still is able to offer these services.
McDonald said that in April 2011, every college president in the country received a letter that defined Title IX, which is a law that ensures gender equity in education and athletics. This includes equity in coursework, programming and dealing with sexual assault. McDonald said that when a sexual assault is reported, it is tracked in compliance with the Clery Act, which requires colleges to keep statistics on various crimes that occur on campus. Both Title IX and the Clery Act are legal efforts intended to motivate colleges to protect students and raising awareness about sexual assault.
McDonald overlooks and makes sure that all security personnel are trained to deal with sexual assault cases. In addition, McDonald also reads every sexual assault case that is reported and determines whether administrative action needs to be enforced or not.
“Students, both male and female, need to be better educated on to how to lessen their risk of being assaulted. We need to teach our young men that if a woman cannot clearly say ‘yes’, then it is always a ‘no’. That one night stand is not worth going to jail for,” said Forte.
