Red Zone education

The Red Zone, from Labor Day to Thanksgiving Break, is the the time when the highest rate of sexual assaults occur on college campuses.

Organizations at Utah State University. have banded together to help students be aware of the possible risks during Red Zone. Alpha Chi has been distributing Red Zone kits, equipped with information brochures informing students about sexual assault.

The Wellness Center, Counseling Center and USU Campus Police are also places students can go to get more information about sexual assault or receive assistance if they have been involved in a sexual assault.

“On a national average, the majority of sexual assaults can occur on incoming freshman between Labor Day and Thanksgiving,” said Steve Milne, USU Campus Police lieutenant.

For many freshman it is their first time away from home, and there is a desire to be accepted, Milne said.

He advised students to be aware of this nationally marked zone. “I’ve never seen a crime that has such a wide path of destruction as sexual assault. Be aware of this time, make good decisions and be careful who you hang out with,” he said.

Five rapes were reported at USU for the year 2000, according to the USU Police Department’s Statistics Report.

“If only one in 10 are reported, we know there’s more than that,” Milne said.

Shane Sessions, USU Campus Police sergeant, teaches a class called Rape Aggression Defense (RAD).

“The objective of RAD is to develop and enhance the options of self-defense so they may become viable considerations to the woman who is attacked,” Sessions said.

This is the first semester students will receive credit for the course. There was a great demand for more self-defense programs, Sessions said.

The class is for females only. It is divided into lecture and hands-on experience. The class will teach crime prevention and tips. The class spends most of the class with hands-on instruction, Sessions said. At the end of the class term, the students have the option to do a simulation. This is set up to portray real-life situations a female may encounter.

The instructors put on protective suits and do scenarios based on real life situations taken from studies, Sessions said.

“What I like about the class is it teaches women how to use personal weapons and how to protect yourself,” said Judy Crockett, dispatch coordinator. “It [the class] is a real big confidence builder.”

There are many options for someone who has been involved in a sexual assault, Milne said. A women can choose not to report the incident. The victim has up to five years to prosecute the case.

Another option is to “come to us and make us aware of the situation, but not make a police report,” he said.

With the second option, the police can look at the record of the perpetrator.

“These victims need emotional support and counseling before considering charging [the perpetrator],” Milne said.

A third option is to file a police report and the police can talk to the perpetrator of the crime. In most sexual assault cases, it is someone the victim knows. With any of the options, it is imperative to report the incident right away, Milne said.

Victims can also meet with the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). This team is made of local law enforcement agencies, especially trained nurses who deal with sexual assault and Victims Advocate. The Victims Advocate Office is based out of the County Attorney’s office.

SART allows the victim to tell the story only once, Sessions said.

Part of the dilemma is fight or flight.

“If you fight back, you are more likely to avoid being sexually assaulted. The more often a woman fights back, the guy is going to go away,” Sessions said.

Milne also addressed factors that may lead to a person being a target of sexual assault. The cases often deal with the victim being perceived as someone who can be controlled. The victim is flattered by the rapist’s attention. The victim is the weakest link among her peer group and naive to the ways of the world.

In regards to male sexual assaults on campus, none have been reported, Sessions said.

“Nationally, about 10 percent of the male population would be assaulted. One percent of that 10 percent is reported,” Sessions said.

There are other safety measures students can take while on campus such as using the emergency phones to call the campus police for escort service.

When using the emergency telephones for escort services, the dispatch unit can track where the person is calling from and send a police officer to that location, Milne said.