Tackling Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is a reality of which many on campus may not be aware.

According to the American Association of University Women, 65 percent of sexual attacks on a college campus go unreported, making sexual assault a “silent epidemic.” Sexual assault remains the most drastically underreported crime.

Connecticut College is no exception to this epidemic. Although most students are aware that sexual assaults are a threat on campus, few know specifically how to respond to an incident, or what resources are available.

When eight students, seven women and one man, were asked whether they believed the college educates students about available resources, only one student responded yes.

The respondent stated that she would not have been knowledgeable about sexual assault response but for her training as a student advisor.

The recent incident of voyeurism by a college-contracted worker in a women’s restroom, which occurred in the College Center at Crozier-Williams, sparked heated conversations within the community. Many now see it as imperative that the greater student body be better informed and educated about the available resources at the College in the event that a student ever finds him- or herself in a similar situation.

Some students feel that although the college provides resources in case of sexual assault, the students would not know where to receive help after being victimized. Most students surveyed responded that they would go to the Health Center if it was open, or to Campus Safety, while one said that she knew that students were supposed to contact the Dean of Student Life, and such a case would go directly to the Dean’s Grievance Hearing Board, bypassing the Judicial Board.

Housefellows and floor governors undergo training in how to respond to sexual assault and are available 24 hours a day while Student Counseling Services and Student Health Services are available to students during the day throughout the week.

After hours, students may contact Campus Safety or the Health Center Administrator On-Call, who provides support for students and arranges for transportation to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital.

Additionally, Campus Safety can contact the New London Police, medical personnel, a Rape Crisis Counselor and/or a college administrator. Off campus, the Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Eastern CT is available 24 hours a day.

Cristina Moreno ’10, a Women’s Center volunteer, said, “I think that if I wasn’t so involved in the Women’s Center I wouldn’t know what to do [if I were faced with a sexual assault crisis].”

She added that despite working at the Women’s Center, she still doesn’t know the answer to some questions, like whether or not a student would have to pay for a rape kit at the hospital if assaulted.

Students, in fact, do not, because the United States’ Violence Against Women Act rules that states must pay to receive funding so that students can be provided with rape kits.

Moreno said that the Women’s Center is a valuable resource for students, with trained staffers and informational pamphlets about how to respond to sexual assault, but if students do not know where the Women’s Center is located (basement of Smith-Burdick), or choose not go there, none of that information can help.

Moreno also feels that men who have never been to the Women’s Center believe that they are not welcome, but this, she said, is not true. In addition to providing programming around the causes of sexual abuse, the Center provides informational resources for all sexual assault victims — men, of course, included.

Some feel that even though the college provides cards with information during freshman orientation, they do not hear anything else after that unless they seek out the information on their own.

Sexual assault, as described in the “Sexual Assault On-Campus: What Every Student Should Know…” pamphlet published by the Office of Student Life, the Connecticut College student handbook defines sexual misconduct as “any sexual contact or activity that occurs without the informed consent of any individual involved.”

With this definition in mind, the context of the word ‘consent’ is necessary in order to better assess whether a situation is considered sexual misconduct or not. As described in the pamphlet, “consent implies words and/or actions that demonstrate a voluntary agreement to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity.” Not saying ‘no’ does not equal consent.

Even if a student is unsure as to the gravity of his or her situation, the student should know that the policies the college has in place regarding sexual misconduct on campus all urge them to seek support.

From an administrative perspective, Dean Sarah Cardwell, Associate Dean of Student Life, said “we all have a role in making the campus safe.”

However, she further acknowledged that although each student may define the word ‘safe’ differently, Campus Safety reinforces the different perspectives that students have of safety by maintaining communication with the student body through avenues like the Campus Safety committee that meets periodically throughout the semester.

“The necessary [safety] measures are all in place, but students need to take action in the face of these [sexual assault] situations,” said Cardwell.

Under the Clery Act, “all colleges and universities are required to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies.” All crime and sexual assault statistics are available here.