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Conference hopes to raise awareness about rape on campus Date published: 5/4/2009
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE
Sexual assaults on college campuses are typically under-reported. Student victims seeking anonymity go to sexual-assault clinics for help, rather than to campus counseling centers. So schools often don't recognize the full scope of rape and sexual abuse on campus. A state group hopes to change that. The Virginia Coalition Against Campus Sexual Assault holds an annual conference on a college campus. This year the conference will be held at the University of Mary Washington, on May 18 and 19. This marks the first time such an event has been held in the Fredericksburg area. Registration for the conference ends today, and the event will feature a keynote speaker on sexual abuse, breakout sessions and an ethics workshop for professionals. The conference will focus on communities working together to prevent, prosecute and treat sexual abuse. Locally, the area has a good history of working together, said Carol Olson, director of the Rappahannock Area Council Against Sexual Assault. For years, the city of Fredericksburg has had a Sexual Assault Response Team, a group consisting of law enforcement, hospital and treatment providers working together. Other localities have recently developed or started to form such teams, Olson said. These partnerships help victims and foster prevention, she said. Breakout sessions will educate attendees about what men can do to prevent rape, the role of bystanders, trauma therapy and successful campus programs. A special session May 19 will offer ethics training for mental health professionals, and will allow them to earn continuing-education credits. The event is geared toward students, professionals and anyone with an interest in preventing sexual assaults, Olson said. "We're arranging it so a range of people can come and get something out of it," she said. Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Date published: 5/4/2009
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