It will happen to 25 percent of women and three percent of men in their lifetimes. If trends continue, it will happen to at least five students on campus this year.
And for first year students, the first six weeks are a time when they are at the highest risk for sexual assault.
“A lot of students arrive on campus suddenly full of freedom without a strong network of friends, wanting to fit in,” Shannon Johnson, director of the Women’s Center, said. “When all that comes together it is human nature to take risks and perpetrators take advantage of that situation.”
Johnson said she believes perpetrators seek an easy target, typically freshmen females. This group is a target because they are just beginning to find their way around campus and have yet to make strong connections, she said.
In 2005, according to Campus Police, five cases of rape were reported; in 2002, two cases were reported. There were another 4 cases of forcible sex offenses documented to other on-campus reporting agencies, and another six that occurred off-campus, according to the Campus Police Web site.
Rape cases on and off campus may be significantly under-reported. According to various statistics at the Women’s Center, it was estimated that 367 sexual assaults actually occurred in the 2005 academic year, but only about 12 were reported.
A substance that is commonly involved in sexual assault is alcohol, according to the Women’s Center. Over half of survivors of sexual assault reported using alcohol prior to the attack. Alcohol use is impaired consent; therefore no one can give consent to any sexual behavior if under the influence of alcohol or any other drug.
College is a new beginning for freshmen, and the first six weeks are a critical point in time. New friends mean new experiences and for many, all in an unfamiliar setting. “I was concerned because State is [in] such an urban city,” says Jessica Ritter from Chicago, a freshman in biology, “and being in a foreign place with people I don’t know much about.” The transition can be a very exciting period, but men and women need to be cautious in their new surroundings.
Jennifer Patterson, a freshman in psychology, said she uses the “buddy system” when going to social events.
“I always make sure I am with friends,” she said, “because there is safety in numbers.”