Sexual assault awareness month

The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness month on campuses nationwide. 1 in 5 college women will be a victim of sexual assault by the time she graduates. On April 26th there will be a student run table outside of the Scranton Commons between 11am and 2pm. Students and faculty can come and receive information on sexual assault awareness. In 2008 alone there were over 300,000 thousand victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

Sexual assault can be defined when someone is forced, coerced or tricked into any kind of sexual activity against their will. This happens when someone cannot or does not consent to the sexual acts therefore being forced against their own will. The most common misconception with sexual assault is that it is the victim’s own fault. You are not blame for the assault, you did not ask to be abused, and you are not alone. Every minute 1.3 women in America are raped and sexual assault remains the most dramatically underreported crime.

A few steps to avoid date and acquaintance rape is to avoid isolated areas, clearly communicate your sexual intentions, and trust your own instincts. 1 in every 5 rapes takes place in a public area or in a parking garage. By working together as a campus and community we can educate and inform men and women during the month of April for the need of additional sexual assault prevention efforts.

In the last two weeks of April, take a few moments to check out the information that will be available on April 26th outside of the Scranton Commons. For additional information, please contact The Women’s Center, located on Market Street. Services range from a 24-hour hotline to individual or group counseling. Please visit http://www.nsvrc.org/saam or http://www.thewomenscenterinc.org.