Friday, April 20, 2007
The GaDuGi SafeCenter, along with Sexual Violence Education & Support Services and the One in Four student organization, spread awareness Thursday about one form of violence that affects 25 percent of college women nationally: sexual assault.
"It was just 1 night to you...but it will be with me FOREVER." Nationwide one in four women will be assaulted before they graduate college. Sexual Violence Education and Support Services at the University of Kansas assist students who have suffered from sexual assaults.
“Regardless of whether or not you’re sexually assaulted, you’ll probably know someone who has been or will be assaulted,” said Kristen Abell, program coordinator for Sexual Violence Education & Support Services.
Abell sat at a table that was covered with panties that belonged to survivors of sexual assault. The panty-line project Thursday was part of Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
A clothesline was attached to a fold-up chair next to the table to string up additional pairs of panties.
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“Keep out,” was written on a white pair of flower-imprinted panties. Another pair of black Hanes Her Ways were painted with the message, “This used to be my favorite pair of underwear, now it is ... EVIDENCE.”
The survivors had written messages of fear, hate and hope on the panties.
“Keep out,” was written on a white pair of flower-imprinted panties. Another pair of black Hanes Her Ways were painted with the message, “This used to be my favorite pair of underwear, now it is ... EVIDENCE.”
On a pair of blue boxer shorts, the message, “Men are objectified too,” was written as a reminder that men, too, are sometimes victims of sexual assault.
Ten percent of survivors are men who are assaulted by other men who are generally heterosexual, Abell said.
Will Sellers, Sterling, Va., senior and president of One in Four, said his group formed to educate men about the prevalence of sexual assault and to develop ways for them to help victims cope.
He said he wanted the panty-line project to impact passersby and educate them about the nationwide sexual assault problem.
“The items speak for themselves,” Sellers said. “Students should take an awareness of sexual assault. It’s real, and it happens to 25 percent of college women.”
People don’t have to be victims to get involved. Abell said men could help each other and women prevent from becoming victimized.
“It’s important for men to look out for each other and make sure they’re being respectful,” Abell said.
She said there were ways women could lower their likelihood of being victimized.
She said students would often let their boundaries down on campus because they felt like it was a safe environment, or they would even accept rides from other students because they felt like they identified with the college population in general.
Students need to consider these situations and remember that alcohol is involved with 90 percent of sexual assaults, she said.
“Alcohol use on campuses is higher than elsewhere,” Abell said.
Kansan staff writer Tyler Harbert can be contacted at tharbert@kansan.com.
— Edited by Kelly Lanigan
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Comments
Revealing sexual assault
Just use a little common sense people. Living in the student ghetto, I see drunk college girls stumbling down the alley ways alone at 2 AM all the time. Dumb.
Farting around on your computer alone at midnight is very safe. I can vouch for that personally.
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