Sexual offenses on campuses across the United States are something that is not generally spoken about. However statistics show that unreported cases may be on the rise.

According to a study by SIU Counseling and Psychological Services, 21 to 26 percent of students who seek counseling at CAPS said they have had an unwanted sexual experience at some point in their life.

For the past 30 years at SIU, one in four individuals has experienced some form of sexual violence, said Rosemary Simmons, director of the Counseling Center.

Simmons said the state of Illinois requires every university to have a Sexual Response Community and every university has to report the number of sexual assaults on campuses.

Lt. John Allen, Supervisor of Administrative Service Division at the Department of Public Safety, said in 2012 there were a total of eight sexual forced offenses reported at an on-campus area, which included student housing.

In 2012, The American College Health Association noted that of the 28,000 students that were surveyed at 51 different universities, approximately 12 percent reported having a sexual encounter that was without their consent.

During the past year SIU has taken the initiative to provide faculty and students with the proper resources to help those who have personally, or know someone, who has experienced sexual violence and to expose them to prevention methods.

“There are a lot of common factors with a lot of the sexual assaults that happen on college campuses,” Simmons said. “ Alcohol is almost always involved with sexual assaults and we want to teach students how to be responsible while drinking.”

Saluki First Year’s University College 101 course has made alcohol education and sexual assault prevention a course requirement for all freshmen. Since national studies show there is a strong correlation between alcohol and many reported cases of sexual assault, the course made it a priority to spend time increasing each student’s knowledge of alcohol and how to improve decision making.

Jason Gillman, assistant director of the Wellness Center, said UCOLL 101 is a way to intervene with sexual assault. He also said one key way to help prevent sexual assault is to end rape myths.

“Rape myths are actually a socialized and cultural thing that happens within the United States in regards to sexual assault,” Gillman said. “We are trying to choose a good way to message to men what consent is and isn’t.”

SafeHaven is a portion of the UCOLL101 course that focuses on teaching students about sexual assault prevention. Gillman said teaching people what consent actually means is important because some people are okay with no means no and some people are not.

“We put on a lot of sexual assault awareness and prevention with housing and we spend a considerable amount talking to men and women on how not to be victim of sex crimes.” Allen said.

As of now the university has held several sexual violence prevention trainings and events over the course of the semester for both faculty and students. The Student Health Center and Department of Public Safety will be co-sponsoring a Crisis Intervention for Sexual Violence that will be held Nov. 20.

“Any faculty or the university and on some level students, have the responsibility to know what resources are available to refer students of sexual assault,” Gillman said. “ Students often confide in faculty and it’s their responsibility to get that person help or more information from places like the Women’s Center or the Wellness Center.”