The first six weeks of the fall semester are considered a red zone for rape and sexual assault at any university, and the risk is particularly high for incoming freshmen.
Though rape and sexual assault can happen at any time of year, the annual uptick is a result of perpetrators choosing to prey on the vulnerability of incoming students who are unaccustomed to the new environment and seeking new friendships and acceptance, according to Otis McGresham, the director of interpersonal violence and advocacy within the Women’s Center.
“A perpetrator of sexual violence will perpetrate,” McGresham said. “It’s a methodical, kind of hunting sort of mentality. When you are selecting targets to perpetrate sexual violence upon, they’re looking for people who are in an inexperienced environment, people who are more vulnerable so they can prey on that vulnerability.”
McGresham said it is difficult to give advice to students about how to protect themselves and others from sexual violence because the only people who can stop it from happening are the perpetrators, but trusting your gut and speaking up when you see something dangerous happening are the best ways to help keep people safe.
“On one end there is the actual act of sexual violence and on the other end, all of the behaviors that kind of lead up to that act,” McGresham said.
The majority of acts of sexual violence that the Women’s Center deals with are acquaintance acts of rape or sexual aggression, meaning the victim knows the perpetrator, according to McGresham.
“That could be that you met somebody in a classroom or a study group or in the library, and they made attempts to create friendships and form connections, and they have manipulated and used those connections against the person that they chose to violate,” McGresham said.
Because sexual assault is so heavily underreported to the police at any time during the year, Campus Police doesn’t emphasize the existence of the red zone when raising awareness and combating sexual crimes on campus, according to Jack Moorman, the NC State Campus Police chief.
Beginning this year, incoming students will be required to watch a video during orientation that explains the definition of consent and gives sample scenarios of sexual assault that students may encounter during their time on campus.
“For us, we have zero tolerance for sexual assault, and one incident is too many,” Moorman said. “What we don’t want to happen is we don’t want people to let their guard down. We don’t want people to think, ‘OK, well it’s just in the first two weeks the first three weeks,’ and what have you. We want awareness and attention on the topic to continue throughout the year.”
Student victims of rape or sexual assault have resources and services available to them through different campus offices and programs.
McGresham’s position exists to be an advocate for students, and he can be used as a conduit for all of the available resources for students affected by rape, sexual assault, dating and interpersonal violence. Students can go directly to him and say what has happened and why they are concerned. McGresham will be able to provide contacts in different offices and service providers around campus.
The Women’s Center offers a free, 24-hour Relationship and Sexual Violence Phone Line staffed by trained advocates who are able to respond to the caller’s emotional needs and provide information about options and services available to victims. The number for the RSVP line is 919-618-RAPE(7273).
The Student Health Center provides emotional and psychiatric care through the Counseling Center and medical care and testing for STI transmission through Health Clinics and Women’s Health.
Campus Police is always available if the victim chooses to report an incident to the police and take legal action against his or her perpetrator.
The Women’s Center also has money set aside in a Survivor Fund to help victims of sexual or relationship violence with certain expenses they may otherwise not be able to afford.
“If you are impacted by sexual assault or relationship violence and you need funds for medical examination or counseling or you are trying to move out of an abusive relationship and you need money for a down payment on a new apartment, we’ve got some funds set aside through an endowment to help alleviate some of those costs,” McGresham said.
