Last week, Campus Safety sent an email to the DU community alerting students of recent reports of sexual assault. The email indicates that “Since January 2016, Campus Safety has learned of seven reported sexual assault-rape incidents in our community.” The message goes on to state that six out of the seven incidents have occurred in the months since October 2015. The email also denotes that these cases of sexual assault were rapes, which is separate from the forcible fondlings also reported in past months. This separation is definitional in accordance with Title IX policies, further emphasizing the fact that sexual assault is a prevalent threat to DU students. It is important for students to be active in discussions and awareness of sexual assault in order to support victims and promote positive change in campus culture.
The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, recognized by DU through various awareness and educational events. This month provides an important space of support and opportunity for DU students to be involved in and aware of these discussions. Sexual assault is a very real issue for colleges across the nation, nearly 1 in 4 women say they were sexually assaulted before graduation. Unfortunately, DU is not exempt from this issue, as displayed by recent reports of sexual assault in the DU community in past months.
The Center for Advocacy, Prevention and Empowerment (CAPE) is always available to students for education, support, confidentiality and reports. In addition, there are multiple campus organizations that students can be a part of in order to promote empowerment, such as the Undergraduate Women’s Council, Undergraduate Student Government, Queer Straight Alliance and the Student Coalition for the Eradication of Sexual Assault. All of these organizations and more are involved in the events and recognition occurring during the month of April. Students are encouraged to take part, especially in light of the recent sexual assault-rape reports on campus.
While the issue of sexual assault isn’t something that can be fixed overnight, student involvement in campus activities and programs can help promote a culture of support and awareness with the goal of a healthy and safe campus environment for everyone.
