r"- Ad:-L.:.r.. - r%-.I.. TM.......3.... l1.... ..... L..... c 4 rtf1[_" c A

SPECIAL REPORT Te Micnigan uaiy - inursay, Decemoer 5, i996- 
niversities nationwide attempt to curb

A

rape, sex attacks with

various methods


~4m

niversities across the counti
and sexual assaults in
increased campus secui
Joyce Wright, director of the
University of Michigan's Sexual
Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center, said that in
comparison to other U.S. colleges,
the University is "doing very well
in terms of prevention because of
our education and awareness."
Wright said she has seen a pos-
itive response to SAPAC's work-
shops, adding that the program's
most effective component is the lecture
given during first-year orientation.
"The exception to the rule of this satis-
faction is that people aren't going to be sat-
isfied with everything you do because you
only have one hour," Wright said.
Other universities
The Ohio State University targets first-
year students through "UVC 100" - a
required course that teaches first-year stu-
dents about college life. UVC 100 focuses
on rape and sexual assault during the first
two weeks of the course.
OSU Police Chief Ron Michalec said
the class warns students that drinking alco-
hol increases a student's chances of being
sexually assaulted and the class also teach-
es students to let roommates know where
they will be on first dates.
"We try to give them some idea of who
becomes a survivor and how to potentially
prevent sexual assault," Michalec said.
"We really like to key in on sexual assault
prevention in the class because it targets
students at a good time and it's a hot topic
on campus."
Both OSU and Columbia University
offer a non-credit class, titled Rape
Aggression Defense Training, which costs
about $10-$30.
Columbia University Police Lt. Ricardo
Morales said RAD, which teaches women
basic self defense, is an important part of
Columbia's intense campus safety pro-
gram.
"We're not scared about informing the
students," Morales said. "If you don't edu-
cate and you don't have these programs,
you're going to have problems."
The University of California at
Berkeley's Health Promotion Unit is
directing its programming toward the
school's Greek system by holding exclu-
sive workshops for members of fraterni- k
ties and sororities.
"Much more of the acquaintance rapesp
happen in the Greek system," said Abbey ~
Rinc6n, a spokesperson for HPU. "It's a
lot of the same houses where this keeps
coming up, and alcohol is definitely
involved."
Megan Kaszubinski, an OSU sopho-
more, said her sorority attended a dinner
followed by a tape prevention seminar
with a fraternity.
Despite the universities' efforts to pro-
mote the prevention of rape and sexual
assault, students have mixed opinions
about the effectiveness of their universi-
ties' educational campaigns.
OSU junior Greg Daniels said Ohio
State's efforts have effectively encouraged
female students to walk in groups but
haven't impacted male students.
"The general sense I've gotten (from
guys) is that this isn't my problem because
I haven't done anything wrong," Daniels
said.
Screens appearing in urinals last year that read,
"You hold the power to stop rape in your hands,"
were an effective way of heightening rape aware-
ness among male students, Daniels said. The
screens were removed after a campus group
responded negatively to them, he said.
Rinc6n said men need to educate and advise
each other "because they are the rapists."
"The reality is that only men can prevent rape,"
Rinc6n said. "Women can only help to reduce their

risks."
Daniels said that whether a student is likely to
read a brochure or not "depends on how bored they
are."
Cassady Toles, a junior at Berkeley, said many
of Berkeley's education efforts do not reach the
whole campus.
"I think the information is there if you want it,
but I think there's a quantity of people who just
don't care," Toles said. "If that's something you
worry about, then there's all sorts of information
for you."
Colleen Mulleedy, a junior at Columbia, said
that although Columbia may not "do quite enough"
with rape and sexual assault safety, the university
"definitely tries to get the word out."
"There's definitely a dialogue about (rape and
sexual assault) here," Mulleedy said. "It's a high
priority here and this shows in the way people are
always talking about it."
Increased campus safety

University of California at
Berkeley
I* Focus is toward educating members of the
Greek system about rape and sexual assault
prevention.
1- Has experienced success with a university-
sponsored escort service.
The Ohio State University
i'- The university's administration is focusing n
acquaintance rape, which accounts for a majori-
ty of rapes on college campuses nationwide.
1 "UVC-100," a course that targets all first-year
students, teaches students how to reduce their
risk of rape and assault.
Michigan State University
b' Focus is on increasing lighting around campus,
which MSU officials believe will make walking
at night safer for students.
The university's buildings are protected by key-
card access to prevent unauthorized entry,
especially at night.
Columbia University
p Officials at Columbia, located in downtown New
York City, are focusing on increasing security
presence on campus.
P More than 40 area store owners have declared
their businesses "safe havens" for students
who are being followed or are in danger.
ticsmaybe-
s across the country are seeing a decrease in
exual assaults, these statistics may be both inac-
> compare.
irector of the University's Sexual Assault
reness Center, said that although rape and sexu-
has increased on campus, the large number of
s make statistics inaccurate.
ve you anything, it's that there are more assaults
you're reading about," Wright said. "Whatever
>u're only talking about a small percentage of

blic Safety spokesperson Elizabeth Hall said
en reports of sexual assault since the beginning
ough four of these were reported during the last
fr, Hall said the concentration does not show a
0 number of things that are being reported, but
happening with rape and sexual assault at the
aid. "If we had a report on Nov. 22, that means
day, but that doesn't necessarily mean it hap-
hiversity's numbers of rape and sexual assault
other universities may be misleading because
fferent ways of reporting and classifying rape


Morales said key-card access to dorms and aca-
demic buildings, television monitors on campus
buildings and blue-light emergency phones have
helped Columbia keep its campus safe.
In an attempt to extend safety measures outside
the campus, the Columbia University Police
Department has started a new program that uses
area merchants as safe havens for students.
Forty area store owners have posted decals of
red lions in their windows to identify themselves
as places students can go for help if they are being
followed or harassed.
"Instead of having a cop in every corner, this
makes students feel safe without costing the
department a lot of money," Morales said.
Mulleedy said the most effective step Columbia
has taken to prevent rape and sexual assault is to
create a strong security presence.
"It would be extremely rare for me to walk
around campus and not see several security guards
just walking around," Mulleedy said.
Michigan State University, OSU and Berkeley
all have different types of key-card access systems,
and all post security guards at entrances to resi-
dence halls.
Alan Levy, director of Housing public affairs at
the University of Michigan, said only half of the
University's residence halls have card-reader
access installed. Levy said the University is com-
mitted to finishing off the system using the M-
Card, but is having complications with students
who want to use their IDs to get meals at other res-
idence halls.

that is some magical route to a secure environ-
ment."
Mike Rice, commander of the MSU police
department, said that in addition to the emphasis
on their "Statewalk" escort service and
"Nightrider" shuttle service, MSU is continually
putting money into improving lighting on campus.
Jason Maclver, a sophomore at MSU, said he
has never seen anyone use Statewalk.
Acquaintance rape

Wright said that although
these types of "outward" safety
measures are "wonderful," they
don't prevent acquaintance
rapes, which account for 90-92
percent of all rapes.
"When people are upset that
an incident occurs, they want
answers right away," Wright
said. "To stop date and acquain-
tance rape we're talking about
changes in how we socialize and
that takes time."
Michael Scarce, coordinator

"Thereali
that only mgl
prevent rapo
- Ab
Berkeley Health
Unit spc

R~n Michac, ehfef of police at The Ohio State University, said
the number of rapes and sexual assaults reported to the Ohio State
University Police Department has decreased since last year. But
Michalec said the statistics may not include all students because the
university is largely a commuter campus and the university has "no
idea what may be reported to other districts."
"We're starting to see a decrease and we're thankful," Michalec
said. "Whether or not this is an accurate representation of what's
happening with sexual assault is a coin toss. We really don't know."
Michalec said the OSUPD differs from the University of
Michigan's DPS in the classification of sexual assault, which in turn
makes a comparison of the two statistics impossible. OSUPD classi-
fies peeping and indecent exposure as sexual assault crimes.
University of California at Berkeley Police Capt. William Cooper
said the number of rapes and sexual assaults is "down, if anything."
"We've only had five reports of rape since 1993
and we're happy with this," Cooper said.
"However, I'm a little suspicious of those num-
bers."
While SAPAC gives confidential reports to the
ion can University of Michigan's DPS, rapes and sexual
assaults that are dealt with at Berkeley's Health
e" Promotion Unit, a SAPAC equivalent, are not
bey RinCon reported to Berkeley police.
Promotion "The majority of women that come to us do not
report to the police," said Abbey Rincon,
okesperson spokesperson for HPU. "That's why if you're
looking at our numbers compared with the uni-
versity's, there's a big gap."
Mike Rice, commander of Michigan State University's Police
Department, said MSU is "probably running average" in terms of
rape and sexual assault, although the "numbers don't give an accu-
rate representation of the problem."
"If you have 10 cases in one year and lthe next, is that really a
10-percent increase?" Rice said. "In many cases it's such a small
number that it's hard to say whether (rape and sexual assault) is up
or down."


of OSU's Rape Education and Prevention program
said outward safety measures "really miss the tar-
get."
"A woman is more safe walking across a dark
campus at 2 a.m. alone than locked in her apart-
ment with a guy she knows," Scarce said.
Rice said MSU will continue putting money into
outward safety but emphasized the limits of their

i

,