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How talking to men may reduce the risk of sexual assault on college campuses Date published: 9/3/2007
BY REBECCA BLATT One in four. That's the number of women who, researchers estimate, are victims of rape or attempted rape during their college careers. One in 20. That's the number of college women who report their sexual assaults to law enforcement officials. One in three. That's the number of college sexual-assault victims who do not tell anyone about their experiences The statistics speak for themselves. Sexual assault at universities is prevalent, underreported and often seen as taboo. But a new movement is unfolding with the hope of changing that. For decades, schools have tried to address the problem in a variety of ways. Most offer educational seminars during new-student orientations to give students, especially females, safety strategies. Some campus police departments offer self- But despite these attempts, the prevalence of sexual assault has remained consistent, says Adam Lalor, executive director of One in Four, a nonprofit that aims to reduce sexual assault on campuses. So leaders in sexual-assault prevention have begun to look for new ways to attack the problem. They say that efforts focused on women may not address the entire issue. "All of those things are important in some ways, but they really only address the behavior of the potential victim," says Chris Kilmartin, a University of Mary Washington professor of psychology whose research focuses on sexual assault. John Foubert, founder of One in Four, agrees. "It's sort of like if you have a dam that's breaking. All you're doing if you're educating women is putting your finger in the dike at different places," he says. While most men are not rapists, as many as 98 percent of rapists are men. For that reason, experts say encouraging men to stand up to peers who commit sexual assault may be a key to success. The goal is to approach sexual assault as a societal issue rather than as a women's issue. Many Virginia universities have begun adopting that philosophy and reaching out to male students. Robert Franklin, the Virginia Department of Health's male-outreach coordinator for sexual violence prevention, says he works with colleges across the state. His male-focused position was created in 2002.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 9/3/2007
Buried in the The Star was the fact that UMW has a large number of sexual assaults. UMW also has difficulty distinguishing between sexual assaults and rapes for reporting purposes. The UMW brochure "Preventing and Responding to Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Stalking at the University of Mary Washington: A Resource Guide," was not available on the UMW website this morning. Something is amiss here. What does UWM have to say?
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