Friday, July 4th, 2008

Events, groups raise assault awareness

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Months

Groups, such as One in Four, and events like “Can I Kiss You?” are raising awareness about sexual violence against women.

By Francesca Chambers (Contact)

Monday, April 7th, 2008

In addition to crimson and blue, the colors teal and white will be prevalent on campus this week.

The Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center will tie teal ribbons to trees along Jayhawk Boulevard and the student group One in Four will pass out white ribbon pins on Wescoe Beach to raise awareness about sexual violence against women.

Angela Oliver, assistant director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, said more attention needed to be brought to sexual violence against women because it was one of the most unreported crimes.

“Many of the victims are acquaintances, which is a huge cultural problem,” Oliver said.

The teal and white ribbon campaigns are parts of national campaigns that promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month, or SAAM. The Women’s Resource Center, One in Four and several other campus organizations will be host to other sexual violence awareness events throughout April, as well, including Mike Domitrz’s program, “Can I Kiss You?”

Domitrz, who began “Can I Kiss You?” in 1990 after his sister was raped, said he would teach students how to make dating easier and more fun.

He said he would teach students how to read body language to know when to make a move and how to handle situations that involve alcohol, which result in safer choices.

Domitrz said he did not want to give away too many details about the program, but he said the program was extremely interactive. He said students would be on stage, and the audience would be able to shout out answers to questions.

Domitrz will be performing in the Kansas Ballroom from 6 to 7 p.m. and 8 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday in the Kansas Ballroom at the Kansas Union. Domitrz has also written two books and is the director of The Date Safe Project.

Rehaan Shaffie, Overland Park senior and president of the men’s group One in Four, said the group would run an informational table at Domitrz’s program, where the group will pass out pledges that will be hung the Kansas Union’s lobby. He said even though the violence was aimed at women, it was a problem that affected men, too.

He said women had made great strides toward ending the violence, but that until men joined the fight, violence against women would continue.

“We’re really just standing by and watching, when we really need to be getting in there and helping out in the ways that we can,” Shaffie said.

Shaffie said the group would give pins to people who signed pledges declaring that they would never commit, condone or remain silent about violence to women.

Oliver said she wanted students to attend the events because she wanted to get rid of the myths on campus about sexual assault and to educate students on what to do if a friend was sexually assaulted.

She also said alcohol was part of the reason sexual assaults go unreported and that needed to change, as well.

“It doesn’t matter how much you drink, that doesn’t mean that someone can sexually assault you,” Oliver said.

— Edited by Matt Hirschfeld

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