Life or death:
a dating game
Rape: It’s not a pleasant word, but it’s
reality. Chances are every SUU student knows people who
have been or will be raped. According to the U.S. Department
of Justice, every two minutes another women is sexually
assaulted in the United States..
While the stereotypical image of a rape might be a woman
walking alone at night and a man jumping out of the bushes
with a knife, research shows most rape victims know their
attacker. The Web site for the Resource Center for Adolescent
Pregnancy Prevention, www.etr.org/recapp/, reports this
is the case in 85 percent of all rapes.
So what does this all mean to the SUU student? We are
not immune.
Dating in college has always been a concern for students,
but we think the decision to go out with someone involves
more of a risk than some students are aware of. That risk
is date rape. Statistics clearly show simply knowing a
possible date partner doesn’t prevent rape.
Why not? Well, we believe it’s because rape isn’t
something about relationships and intimacy, but about
control and power. We don’t think a person with
a tendency to rape could easily be detected. Rapists come
from all walks of life, all professions and all demeanors.
Actually, some believe rapists can appear more charming
and comforting than safe men. Meghan O’Connor, a
youth community educator for The Women’s Center
in Greater Danbury, Conn., told the Stamford Advocate
that most rapists are outwardly charming and friendly.
We believe this is a major reason date rapes occur in
college settings. In addition, we think it is the reason
date rape causes severe psychological damage to victims.
Katie Wright, clinical director at the Sexual Assault
Crisis and Education Center in Stamford, Conn., told the
Advocate rape survivors who don’t deal with the
trauma often suffer from the effects years later.
“They may avoid intimate relationships, take risks
in life or may become socially isolated,” Wright
said. “Ten years of that is far worse than coming
in for counseling for three months.”It is important
that rape victims seek help. There are options in
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Cedar City of which students should be aware of. The first
option is to report the crime to the police who can refer
the person to other support agencies. But for victims not
wishing to seek the help of law enforcement, there are other
options. The Canyon Creek Women’s Crisis Center has
a 24-hour crisis line for those who just want to talk anonymously.
Iron County Victim Services can help victims deal with both
legal and emotional aspects of the crime.
Rape is a tragic reality, and until it no longer exists,
how we as a community deal with it is makes a lot of difference.
While SUU and city police statistics might indicate otherwise,
we believe date rape happens to SUU students. Victims are
often afriad to come forward and communities aren’t
exactly excited to admit rapes occur there.
Students who have been victimized need to realize that as
long as attacks are not reported, the police and SUU have
a difficult time preventing repeat occurrences. These brutal
and humiliating attacks must be curtailed by the cooperation
of victims and victim advocates.
The opinion expressed above is the collective perspective
of the University Journal’s editorial board. The editorial
board meets every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Room 172 of the
Sharwan Smith Center. Visitors are welcome.
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