November 21, 2009
- Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Blackfoot - Idaho
Unreported sexual assault a problem in Rexburg
By Steven Pope
REXBURG - "More than half of sexual assaults are not reported to the police. We have no reason to doubt that's not the case here," explained campus security Garth Gunderson.
That's possibly why the university has 0 reports of a sexual assault on campus or in its dorms. To make matters worse, some students believe they would be expelled even if they were a victim because it's a school operated by a church. But that isn't the case. "A victim of sexual assault would never have to worry about getting kicked out of school from us, our first priority in those situations is to make sure they get the help they need," said University Relations Andy Cargol. Help that the Family Crisis Center is trying to provide to managers at dorms, because of the unreported assaults. "There was a manager that stated specifically to me that yes I had a student come to me last semester, and I wasn't sure how to help her. And she thanked me gratefully for the pamphlets we are handing out to the students," said Alesa Gulley, from the Family Crisis Center. It's important to go into the hospital right after a sexual assault because they're going to help you here. This SANE cart has various ways to collect evidence, hair combings, blood samples, swabs, etc. They even have a Med-scope to take external photographs. And if you're worried about confidentiality, their lips are sealed without your permission. Taking action after an assault is one thing, but there's also a way to stay proactive with a Rape Defense class at the university. "A lot of women depend on men, or the mace, or guns, or those types of things to protect themselves. And this class teaches them to defend themselves," said Emi Flamm. In case you're wondering this isn't Raphael the ninja-turtle. It's actually Doug Barker, whose suited up so I can use the necessary force that women practice with to get out of an attack. "Its an epidemic... The more we do, the more lives will be saved," said RAD instructor Dough Barker. The university also has protective measures on campus. Gunderson continued, "Security officers will walk with someone, take them from a building to their apartment." There's also about 100 cameras around campus*, and the city is fixing nearby street lights to keep lighting at a maximum. |
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