“College campuses tend to serve as a prevalent environment for sexual assault,” Linda Cox, director of MSU Student Counseling Center, said. “It makes sense. We give him our number, our address, get in his car and we are at his mercy,” Cox said. “We are with virtual strangers at that point whether we are dating them or just studying together.”
MSU Annual Security Report defines sexual assault as any kind of sexual or physical contact that involves force or any form or coercion or intimidation. Also prohibited is contact with a person who is unable to consent.
MSU police officer Eddie Scales said that although sexual assault is not a growing problem, it is an ongoing problem at MSU.
“We get countless reports of sexual assault,” Scales said.
Scales also said that the number of cases does increase during football season because of the amount of alcohol consumed by students. He said this is one reason why the Annual Security Report includes a section stating that contact with a person who is unable to consent is prohibited.
Scales said one of the biggest problems with sexual assault cases at MSU, especially date rape, is that the women report it but do not want to press charges.
Date rape is the most common act of sexual assault and the least reported, according to Scales. Cox said the majority of date rapes do not happen literally on campus, but often at apartments off campus.
An MSU Sexual Assault brochure says that one-third of all victims are attacked in their homes and over half of the victims know their attacker. If one-third is attacked in their homes, two-thirds of all sexual assaults are outside the home.
Cox said therapists at the MSU Student Counseling Center see a fair amount of students who have been victims of sexual assault. MSU therapists are trained to engage in trauma model counseling and therapy for those who have been sexually assaulted.
MSU provides a number of services to make students even more aware of sexual assault, and provide assistance to those who are victims.
The MSU Sexual Assault Services provides a sexual assault crisis line where victims are able to call for help and a sexual assault response team will assist the individual. Also, it provides crisis intervention, referrals to counseling, sexual assault education and support.
“Prevention and public are the goal for our services,” Sarah Runyon, graduate assistant for MSU Sexual Assault Services, said.
Runyon said the MSU Sexual Assault Services is no longer able to do a Sexual Assault Awareness Week because of financial reasons but does prepare prevention programs throughout the year.
“We are not decreasing our services, we are just spreading them out,” Runyon said. “We set up tables with information, lectures in residence halls, posters on campus and so on to educate Mississippi State students about these issues.”
In addition to these prevention programs, the MSU Police Department offers a Rape Aggression Defense program.
RAD is the largest women’s self defense system in the country, and six MSU police officers are certified instructors.
“This is an in-depth program that I would recommend to all women,” Scales said.
One group of women have already completed the course this school year. It is a free 12-hour class split into several sessions. It teaches women avoidance, awareness, defensive and resistance skills.
“Any group can request the class and our instructors will work with you to fit it into your schedule,” Scales said. “We prefer at least four to five participants at a time but we can teach sororities, residence halls and whatever size group we need to.”
This is the first year for the Police Department to offer a men’s RAD. The men’s program is very similar but mainly focuses on avoidance, leaving the scene and practical self-defense tactics.
“I would encourage all students, faculty and staff to enroll in the program,” Scales said. “Call the MSU Police Department at 325-2121 to sign up for the program.”
For students who may be a victim of sexual assault, the MSU Student Counseling Center is able to provide therapy and assistance.
Immediately after an assault, victims should go to a safe place and call the police as soon as possible. The Police Department can transfer the call to a counselor. The response team can then take action.
“We carry beepers 24/7 for that very reason,” Cox said.
It is best for victims not to bathe or change clothes. Victims should call someone to assist them to a hospital where they can be treated. If a victim does not want to report the assault, a friend can call the police and ask for advice of how to help the victim.
The goal this year for the MSU Sexual Assault Services is to present 10 awareness and prevention programs a month.
“I’ll be in the classrooms doing programs, like a mini-seminar,” Runyon said. “People have got to know how to take precaution on this campus.