Sexual assault gains more awareness on campus
By Becky Aiman
Students and faculty at Washington and Lee University are taking a stand against sexual assault to combat the silence on campus in recent years.
One of W&L's main student education programs LIFE, or Lifestyle Information For Everyone, reports that one in four college women has experienced rape or attempted rape. Various student and faculty groups have formed recently to provide resources for sexual assault victims on campus.
According to Jan Kaufman, director of health promotion at W&L, sexual assault is not only an issue at W&L, but also a society-wide issue. "I would say that on any college campus, whether it's at W&L or anywhere else in the country, that there are always instances of inappropriate sexual behavior or sexual misconduct," Kaufman said. It is impossible to quantify the instances of sexual assault at W&L because a lot of cases remain unreported, she said.
According to Dr. Jane Horton, director of student health and counseling services at W&L, sexual assault includes any form of unwanted sexual physical contact. "Sexual assault in my mind is anything that happens to an individual of a sexual nature that's against their will or against their consent," she said.
In the Spring of 2004, the Student Health Center conducted The National College Health Assessment Survey, which is regularly administered on college campuses across the country. Results show that occurrences of sexual misconduct at W&L are double the findings on other college campuses. This suggested that students have been choosing to stay silent about the issue.
Sexual misconduct includes any type of unwanted touching, attempted rape, or rape. Survey results showed that most of the sexual misconduct at W&L fell under the nature of touching against one's will.
The same survey was again administered in Spring of 2005. The results illustrated improvements of sexual behavior at W&L, but results were still well above the national averages. Although people commonly think of sexual assault as occurring against women, the survey showed that men can also become victims.
The problem of sexual assault prompted the creation of various student education programs. SPEAK and One in Four aim to raise awareness of sexual assault among students, specifically freshmen, when they arrive on campus.
Justine Dargahi, a W&L junior, is a member of the newly formed women's group SPEAK and serves as a freshmen dorm counselor. According to Dargahi, SPEAK has two goals for its first year on campus: develop an education program for all freshmen women and create a sexual assault video. The education program was a success this year, and the video will be completed in time for next year's freshmen, she said.
One in Four, the male equivalent to SPEAK, is a national group that was formed at W&L two years ago. One in Four helps educate the men on campus, specifically freshmen. According to John Gaffney, co-chair of One in Four, the group strives to make men on campus more aware and sensitive to the issue of sexual assault. One in Four encourages men to avoid rape jokes and derogatory comments toward women. It also tries to promote education about the issue, Gaffney said. "We tell them they are the solution, not the problem," he said.
Other resources available to students include CAIR, or Confidential and Impartial Resolution, and Project Horizon. CAIR's specially trained faculty and staff are available to help guide students through the decision making process for a plan of action after experiencing sexual assault. Project Horizon is a domestic and sexual abuse shelter for women in the Lexington community.
Both Horton and Kaufman stress the importance of communication in avoiding sexual assault. According to both of them, alcohol can present a gray area in communication because it clouds the ability to think and communicate clearly. The fundamental communication tool in avoiding sexual assault is consent. It is important "how you hear consent and how you give consent," Kaufman said.
Horton and Kaufman are both pleased with the increase of open communication among members of the W&L community. Gaffney is particularly happy with the increase of sexual assault awareness on campus. "We've come a long way," he said.
Listen: Dr. Jane Horton discusses alcohol as being one of the main contributors to sexual assault
For more information on sexual assault and campus resources at W&L, visit Student Health and Counseling Services
For more information about LIFE resources, visit the LIFE homepage
For more information about CAIR Resources, visit CAIR Resources online
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming
Editing supervisor: Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd