According to multiple studies, the first six weeks of the fall semester is a time when sexual assault is significantly higher on college campuses.
Known as the Red Zone, students may be in more danger of sexual assault during this period.
According to statistics on rainn.org, sexual violence happens more frequently on college campuses, in comparison to other crimes. A college woman is twice as likely to be sexually assaulted than robbed.
Also according to the website, over 50 percent of college sexual assaults take place in the early fall semester months; either August, September, October or November.
Rainn.org describes itself as the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, and many statistics are available on their website, including crime trends on college campuses.
Francis Nicole Gonzales, project coordinator for LoboRESPECT, said that the Red Zone is an especially significant time for incoming freshmen.
“Students are perhaps adjusting to a new city, trying to meet new people, make new friends and fit in,” Gonzales said. “Since this is a time full of new experiences, it is common for students to feel vulnerable.”
The Sexual Misconduct and Assault Response Team is a restource for assault victims on campus. According to its brochure, the team offers a variety of services to aid survivors, such as medical help, counseling, law enforcement and the student conduct process.
The response team consists of community and University organizations that can respond quickly with the appropriate services.
SMART stresses the importance of anonymous sources and, unless there is a threat of imminent danger, these sources cannot disclose any information without given consent.
“There are several student organizations, such as LoboRESPECT, that wish to create a dialogue between students and UNM faculty,” said Caitlin Henke, program specialist at the Women’s Resource Center. “Becoming involved is the way to become informed and potentially make a difference.”
According to Henke, the statistics found on rainn.org are reliable.
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“Women ages 18 to 24 who are college students are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence,” Henke said. “Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are four times more likely.”
Henke said there are specific reasons why college campuses are a vulnerable place for students on their way to adulthood.
“For many students new to campus, this may be first time they are experimenting with alcohol, going out to parties and may be engaging in intimate relationships,” Henke said.
Henke said it is important to understand there is nothing wrong with these actions.
“The behavior that is wrong is raping someone,” she said. “Rapists know what they are doing and often look for vulnerability, and manipulate the situation.”
There are many resources on campus that can help educate students, and Henke said she encourages students to take the bystander intervention course offered through the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center or the Women’s Resource Center.
“Some people find that taking a self defense course can be helpful for them to talk out how to set firm boundaries and learn physical skills in the event you ever needed to use them,” she said.
Henke said the department has worked with Impact Personal Safety, a nonprofit promoting the prevention of violence, and she enjoyed their methods.
“Their mission is to prevent violence by building skills and inspiring individuals to be agents of personal, community & cultural change,” she said.
This bystander intervention technique has also been gaining traction on other college campuses, according to Henke, because of its “potential to reduce violence” since everyone has a pivotal role to play.
“From time to time we all find ourselves in situations where we witness troubling and potentially harmful situations and behaviors,” Henke said. “At that moment we have a choice to either interrupt the problematic behavior or ignore the problem and allow the situation to potentially escalate.”
Henke said there is more work that can be done to prevent this, and described the issue as not just a women’s problem.
“Sexual violence against men happens and is certainly worthy of attention and concern,” she said. “We have put much of our focus on women because, based on the numbers, women have been more likely to fall victim to rape or sexual assault.”
Henke said we have a duty as human beings to learn about the culture around us.
“We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves about what rape culture looks like and how we may have participated in it,” Henke said. “Take a stand against and behaviors and language that normalizes violence.”
Learning about consent and what it looks like is significant for all relationships, she said.
“All sex should be wanted sex. There is support if you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence,” Henke said. “If someone discloses to you, believe them.”
