Transitioning Times

In light of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we wanted to focus on domestic violence and sexual assault on campuses. While sexual assault is a major issue on campus, many don’t realize that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant issue among college students. Women aged 16-24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence in the United States. This is just one of the many eye-opening facts that demonstrate the severity of domestic violence among young people in this country. The following are more statistics showing the frequency of domestic violence and sexual assault, specifically on college campuses. •       21% of college students report having experienced dating violence by a current partner. 33% experience dating violence by a previous partner. •       13% of college women report they were forced to have sex by a dating partner. •       Over 13% of col...

On April 18, 2017, Transitions hosted a mock sexual assault trial at the Northumberland County Courthouse. It was well-attended, with a full courtroom of approximately 100 people. This was a public event and invitations were distributed widely to high schools and colleges in the area as well as community organizations. The mock trial was created by the DC Street Law Clinic through Georgetown University . Actors were provided with statements given by their characters but otherwise improvised during the trial. The two attorneys spent the most time preparing for the trial. There was only one rehearsal prior to the event.  This mock trial was created in 2009, but the issues it raises continue to be relevant. College students are at a higher risk of being victimized; statistics state 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. There has been a lot of discussion in the past few years about sexual violence on college campuses, including from then- Pres...

College can be a great experience and learning opportunity for students. There are always many activities on campuses and plenty of studying to be done at the library. Nobody would think that 25% of women that go to U.S. college campuses are sexually assaulted during their time on campus (Koss, Gidycz & Wisniewski, 1987). Through the decades there have been many approaches to spread awareness about sexual assault on college campuses. However, not all schools have the funding to acquire proper professionals and services for victims. Some of these approaches include health services, counseling services, prevention programs, consciousness-raising programs, law enforcement responses, and target hardening strategies.                                     Health services on college campuses usually offer prevention ...

If you ask 100 college students what the definition of sexual consent is, you may get 100 different answers.  Some may tell you that it is the absence of a verbal “no”.  Some may say that they “read between the lines” during vague conversations related to the topic and that if they don’t get a strong “No”, they move forcefully ahead.  And yet others say they interpret body language and nonverbal indicators to make their sexual decisions.  Any way you look at it, sexual consent seems to be very difficult for students to define and can be as confusing as an elaborate game of charades.  There should not be any doubt in the mind of an individual who wishes to engage in sexual activity that the other person does or does not want to have sex.  It’s not a guessing game.  Yet students will tell you they find the definition of sexual consent to be much like finding Bigfoot, it can be elusive and unexplained. The hugely popular “No means No” campaign tried...

Colleges and universities in the United States are required to disclose information about crimes committed on and around campus, as pursuant to Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.   One of our staff members received the following message from Millersville University . "It is estimated that nationwide 20 percent of women and six percent of college men experience sexual assault or attempted sexual assault during their college years.  Data reveal nearly 50 percent of transgender people experience sexual violence.  No matter the demographic, the most common type of sexual assault is not committed by a stranger but by someone known to the victim, typically a date or other acquaintance. There are risk factors associated with sexual assault, about which it may be useful to be aware, but being at risk in no way shifts responsibility for sexual assault to a victim/survivor.  Studies of sexual assault show a high ...

Did you know that fraternities are "the largest single provider of undergraduate housing in the United States?"  As such, fraternities have great power to influence the activities and culture on college campuses.  In a recent story on NPR , I learned that fraternities are insured.  Through this insurance, some research has been done about how to decrease their risk.  The number one claim against fraternities is assault and battery and the second is sexual assault of young women. In fact , 55% of gang rapes on college campuses are committed by fraternities. Consider that with these numbers, fraternities cannot be backed by a usual insurance company, they have had to self-insure through the Fraternity Risk Management Fund.  Instead of changing their culture to fit society's, and business's, rules of behavior, they created their own insurance fund, so that they could still exhibit this behavior, but also be protected from the cons...

Working for a sexual assault center can be trying.  We have a prevention education department, a statewide coalition against rape, mandated child abuse reporting laws, Sexual Assault Response Teams, an awareness month, and still, people are victimized.   There are small movements of victory in this battle, and today, I stumbled upon one on the internet .   Two young women, students at Syracuse University, were discussing their experiences as sexual assault survivors and in an effort to combat sexual violence on theirs and other college campuses, they started an organization aimed at creating a movement where women  “become active operatives to stop a rape from happening.”  And The Girl Code Movement was born. What does this mean?  They want women to watch out for other women.  There have been other calls to action along these same lines, but this is done in such a way not to blame victims, but to encourage onlookers and bystanders to get involve...