Breaking the Silence
EDITOR’S NOTE: The incorrect article was published in our April Issue. Below is the corrected article. My sincere apologies for the mix up.
Breaking the Silence
April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month
Rebecca Richardson
1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. Recent statistics show that over 63% of these cases will never be reported. The month of April is Sexual Violence Awareness month and at ICC plans are in place to bring this issue to light. According to Amy Daxenbichler MA , LCPC, Counseling Coordinator for ICC, “There is a stigma associated with reporting a sexual assault. Often survivors do not report the assault due to concerns that they will be re-traumatized by negative reactions from others, reliving the traumatic event and having to face their attacker.” There are many reasons that people choose to stay silent, but that silence can come with a price too. Victims of sexual violence often face a second type of victimization when they are left to confront and deal with the aftermath of an assault. They can feel isolated, misunderstood, scared to trust.
Current statistics show that nearly two-thirds of college students have experienced sexual harassment and among college women, nine out of ten victims knew their attacker. A staggering 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses never report the attack. “We are committed to helping and supporting student survivors of sexual violence.” says Daxenbichler. “We want to encourage survivors to feel comfortable at Illinois Central College with reporting any incident so that they can receive the legal, medical, and counseling services that they need to begin the healing process.”
One of the “grey” issues when it comes to sexual assault of college students is the topic of consent. When alcohol or drugs are involved, the victim may be frightened to come forward, worrying about being believed. Illinois statute720 ILCS 5/12-13 states “In Illinois, a person commits criminal sexual assault if that person commits an act of sexual penetration involving force or threat of force or knowing that the victim is unable to understand the nature of the act or is unable to give knowing consent.” Understanding the law behind consent clearly shows this is not a “grey” issue at all. Legally, someone who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs cannot give consent. A person who engages in sexual activity with someone who is able to provide adequate consent can be charged with sexual assault.
ICC takes this matter seriously and has steps in place to help students who have been victimized, not feeling victimized again. “One thing we want students to be aware of” said Daxenbichler “is that we have numerous resources available to help them get through this traumatic experience. Illinois Central College has a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) that has recently been reinvigorated. This team can provide on-campus advocacy to student survivors as needed. SART is comprised of staff, counselors and two representatives from the Center for Prevention of Abuse. We also work closely with the Center of Abuse, which is a community agency that provides legal and medical advocacy for survivors, as well as individual and group counseling.”
While national initiatives like the It’s On Us Campaign and the White House Task Force to Prevent Students from Sexual Assault tackle this issue on a bigger platform, locally the campus is hosting campaigns throughout the month of April. Informational tables and Q & A sessions will be hosted by ICC Counseling Services at East Peoria campus on April 5th and 6th. Throughout the month of April, the Center for Prevention of Abuse will also be displaying the “Silent Witness” and “Clothesline” projects to campus to help raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence.
Any student who needs to set up a counseling session with the Illinois Central College counseling services can call 309.694.5573 or stop by CC200. Assaults taking place on campus can be directly reported to the campus police at 694.5523. “It is important for survivors to know that they are not alone and that our campus has numerous resources to assist them.” said Daxenbichler “Sexual assault is a highly prevalent issue on college campus, and we are dedicated to reducing the risk on our campus through prevention and awareness campaigns. In the unfortunate event that a student is the victim of sexual assault, we are also dedicated to assuring that we provide quality counseling and advocacy services to those impacted.”