EvyJo Compton
Reporter
April is sexual assault awareness month and on Parkland’s campus, victims of sexual assault can go to Public Safety, Counseling, and the Dean of Students’ office for information and aid.
Though both men and women are victims of sexual assault, there is higher prevalence of assaults against women, particularly during college years.
“Women are impacted by sexual assault at a much higher rate than men. It’s estimated that approximately 20 to 25 percent of all college women will experience sexual assault during their tenure,” said Ben Boltinghouse, police sergeant at the department of public safety.
There are specific laws regarding what sexual assault is and how sexual assault occurs.
“In Illinois, a person commits criminal sexual assault if that person commits an act of sexual penetration and uses force, or the threat of force, or knows the victim lacks capacity to give consent,” Boltinghouse said. “There are also aggravating factors depending on the age of the victim, the relationship between victim and suspect, and whether a weapon was involved. Other forms of unwanted sexual contact, such as the groping… are also illegal.”
Sexual assault can occur virtually anywhere, but on college campuses, dorm rooms are a very common location.
“Parkland doesn’t have any dorms, but even secluded study areas can be the location of unwanted sexual contact,” Boltinghouse said.
There are several locations on Parkland campus that victims can go to for help after an act of sexual assault.
“Victims of sexual assault can come to the Public Safety office [located in] A160 for help, as well as Counseling and the Dean of Students’ office,” Boltinghouse said. “The most important thing is to talk to someone and start to build a base of support. So even if you don’t want to go to the police at this time, it’s crucial to get in touch with someone who can connect you with resources and help start the recovery process.”
Sexual assault doesn’t occur on just campus and there are several places in Champaign-Urbana for victims to turn to.
“Depending on how recently the assault occurred, I would recommend first going to a hospital to ensure any injuries sustained during the course of the assault can be tended to,” Boltinghouse said. “Other resources in the area include RACES [which stands for] Rape Advocacy, Counseling & Education Services, as well as the Women’s Resource Center at the U of I.”
According to rainn.org, two out of three sexual assault will go unreported on a college campus.
“Unfortunately, it’s estimated that the majority of assaults that occur go unreported,” Boltinghouse said. “There are probably a lot of reasons for that, not least of all the culture of victim blaming that exists, victims feeling embarrassed or that it’s their fault. People feel like if they tell someone about it, even friends or family, that they’ll be disowned.”
Sexual assault awareness month reminds people of the importance of reminding victims and one another that it is never the victim’s fault.
“If you’ve been assaulted, I think one of the most important things to know is that it wasn’t your fault,” Boltinghouse said. “Regardless of where you were, what time it was, how much you had to drink, or what you were wearing, sexual assault is never your fault. Another person made a decision to do this to you and you are not to blame.”
