All women, especially college students, should be concerned about being a potential rape victim, a women’s group representatives says.

As part of Women’s Safety Week, local organizations are offering various programs to warn women of their chances of being sexually assaulted, and offering preventative measure to avoid attacks.

Tammi Reynolds, a representative of Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, which provides community programming advice, said women in the age bracket16-24, which includes many college students, is four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other age group.

Advertisement

In September of last year, Reynolds conducted a survey that asked 246 SIUC students if they had ever been raped. Her results showed twenty percent of the responding women felt they had been raped.

Carolyn Prinz, coordinator of the Rape Action Committee, said during the fiscal year from July 1994 to June 1995, they had 217 victims of rape from surrounding counties come forward. She said usually twenty-five percent of these victims are students.

According to police crime rates, only 25 sexual assaults were reported in Carbondale at that time, five of which happened on campus.

Leslie Strategier, a campus safety representative, said between 90-95 percent of women do not report sexual assaults.

Strategier said according to studies done by the National Victim Center, the number of police reported sexual assaults need to be mulitplied by nine or ten to get a estimate of actual sexual assaults in an area. Because of unfamiliar surroundings and risk behavior, such as experimenting with drugs and alcohol, college students are a prime target for sexual assaults, Prinz said.

Rapists take advantage of vulnerability, she said.

Prinz said most rapes reported to the Rape Action Committee occur at dorm parties, house parties or at home.

Advertisement*

Most rapes occur by someone the victim trusts, she said. Women have to watch out for strangers and acquaintances. It is a horrible situation to be in.

Reynolds said many rapists make their victims feel guilty about a situation. She said a rapist, for example, will say he needs to use a victim’s phone for an emergency.

Prinz said one of the best preventative measures against rape is to use the buddy system . She said to tell friends who you are with or where you are going and stay in a safe environment.

Prinz said fighting is the best way to get out of an assault. She said pleading or begging are the least effective ways. Surviving the attack is the most important matter.

Reynolds said she hopes people take part in the programs for Women’s Safety Week, which ends Saturday.

It is a great educational opportunity to learn how to decrease your chances of being raped before something happens to you, she said.

Two SIUC students said they already take precautions to avoid rape and sexual assault.

Dana Robinson, a SIUC freshman said she would not travel at night by herself.

We usually travel in packs of guys and girls.

Danielle West, a SIUC freshman, said it is a good idea to double date instead of going out alone with someone for the first time.

It helps avoid risky situations, she said.