Sexual assault on the SMU campus occurs more frequently than onemight imagine.
Estimates suggest that only one in 12 sexual assaults is everreported. Many times, victims feel a sense of shame or disgust, andthey do not want to replay the events that have caused so muchpain.
Counseling and testing services for women who have becomevictims of sexual assault are available through the SMU MemorialHealth Center.
Cathey Soutter, coordinator for psychological services for womenand gender issues at SMU, said that support groups are in place forvictims of sexual assault.
“Our goal is to empower victims to take control back totheir lives,” she said. There are counseling services as wellas sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy testing availableduring normal business hours at the health center.
The morning-after-pill can also be administered to preventpregnancy within 72 hours after the assault.
Many students are unaware of the programs offered by the healthcenter.
“I’m glad that SMU offers them to women, but I hadno idea that they existed,” sophomore Mandy Ragle said.
Sexual assault, as defined by the SMU police, includes”any nonconsensual sexual intercourse committed by physicalforce, threat, coercion, or intimidation.”
From 2000 to 2002, four instances of sexual assault werereported to SMU police. This year thus far, only one allegedassault was reported.
These statistics can give a false impression that rape is not aserious issue on the SMU campus.
SMU Police Captain Tommy Jones said, “On the surface itlooks like SMU has no problem with date rape, but I think if youdig under all the muck, you’d find that’s not the case.The mere presence of [date rape] drugs indicates to me that ithappens more often than it’s reported.”
Figures from the SMU police department’s Web site show atrend of unreported assaults.
Between 2001 and 2003, nine cases of sexual assault werereported to the Dean of Student Life, Residence Life and StudentHousing, the SMU Women’s Center and the SMU Memorial HealthCenter. These cases were not officially reported to police by thevictims.
“If you are raped, immediately contact authorities, afriend, your RA or police,” Soutter said. Medical attentionis needed because the victim could have been exposed to a sexuallytransmitted disease, become pregnant or injured.
Parkland Hospital is the only place in Dallas County where arape kit, consisting of pelvic and physical tests, can beadministered and be admissible in court. Soutter is available 24hours a day to accompany a victim to Parkland for theirexamination.
“This in no way obligates a woman to feel like she mustpress charges,” she said.
Oftentimes, “date-rape” drugs are used to render thevictim unconscious. Gamma-Hydroxy Butyrate, or GHB, and Rohypnol,also known by slang terms “Roche,” “R-2,””the forget pill,” and “Roofies,” are themost prevalent drugs used in sexual assaults according to theonline advice group, What You Need to Know About.
Both drugs are virtually undetectable.
They are tasteless, colorless and odorless and leave the victimunconscious, with a feeling of extreme drunkenness, and unable toremember events in the past eight to 24 hours.
“It’s really scary that all these drugs are outthere and that I could be given one and not even know it,”sophomore Leslie Madden said. “It makes me more cautious thenext time I am at a party.”
Mike Hardcastle of the group, What You Need to Know About,recommends several safety tips to reduce the risk of sexualassault.
Do not accept “trash-can” punch or drinks that arein open containers. He also says that walking in a group ratherthan alone is a deterrent of sexual assault.
SMU police recommend calling their non-emergency number, (214)768-8833, for an escort to take you to your residence hall or caron campus. The most important tip to prevent sexual assault is tosimply be aware of your surroundings.
