University of Maryland’s facilities help prevent sexual
assault
According to a study produced by the Washington Post-Kaiser
Family Foundation one in five women have been sexually assaulted during the
past four years of their college education.
Sexual assault is defined by the Department of Justice as
any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent
of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual
activities such as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation,
incest, fondling and attempted rape.
At the University of Maryland the Office of Civil Rights and
Sexual Misconduct defines sexual assault as any time of actual or attempted
sexual contact with another individual without that person’s consent.
These two definitions are similar and now the University of
Maryland’s Title IX office is taking these definitions extremely seriously.
The number of students expelled at the University of Maryland for sexual misconduct
in a one-year period beginning July 2014 reached its peak. From July 2014 to June 30, 2015 there
were three expulsions for sexual assault and two suspensions for violating the
university’s sexual misconduct policy.
Many people credit this improvement in policy to the Title IX officer Catherine
Carroll who put these sexual assault investigations into place.
Ten Women Plan opens the discussion of UMD’s rape culture
“I feel safer on campus knowing that there is a resource to
go to if I ever have a problem with a man at a party,” sophomore Margo
Bernhaut. “Knowing that the Title IX office is there makes me feel like there
could be an actual person to stop sexual violence.”
Bernhaut is in charge of her sorority’s chapter of Ten Women
Plan, which is an open forum that facilitates a discussion for sexual assault
prevention. Sororities and fraternities alike participate in this discussion
for sexual assault prevention and attempt to reduce the number of assaults on
campus.
Dana Wimbish is the adult facilitator for the Alpha Epsilon
Phi’s sorority Ten Women Plan. Wimbish is there to speak with the students on
the issues that are facilitating sexual assault on campus.
“We talk about what to do and how to avoid situations that
lead to the rape culture,” Wimbish said. “We talk about hook up culture and
rape myths.”
The casual hookup culture impacts rape and sexual assault
According to the Washington Post- Kaiser Family poll, the
casual hook up culture is one of the factors that are influencing sexual assault.
At a Ten Women Plan discussion with Alpha Epsilon Phi and
the fraternity FIJI, they got together to speak about the consent conversation that
students aren’t having before they decide to proceed in a sexual relationship with one another.
“It was really interesting to hear what the boys in FIJI
said because they think if a girl agrees to come back to your apartment they
will definitely want to sleep with you,” senior Nicole Kloorfain said.
At the meeting Wimbish asked why there wasn’t a conversation
between two people when they were about to engage in sex. The consensus of the
group was that asking someone out loud if they wanted to have sex was kind of a
mood-killer and an awkward conversation to be had.
“We go to parties and there is so much alcohol thrown in our
faces that people aren’t making the best decisions due to their levels of
intoxication,” Kloorfain said “People don’t want to slow down and ask about
having sex.”
Resources available to students on campus
Ten Women Plan is just one of the options the University has
opened up to its students to help facilitate the sexual assault conversation.
“There’s a lot of resources on campus,” Wimbish said. “The Title IX Office of Sexual
Misconduct will help guide students if they are sexually assaulted by another
student, staff or faculty member.”
Another resource on campus is at the health center Campus Advocates Respond and Educate to
Stop Violence is there to respond to incidents of sexual assault, domestic
violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual harassment affecting all genders
of the University community. CARE is
also there as a resource to help educate people about sexual assault.
Senior Sydney Shale worked as a peer educator for Sexual
Heath and Reproductive Education (SHARE) and dealt closely with sensitive cases
surrounding sexual encounters.
“I would probably go to the CARE resource,” senior Sydney
Shale said. “I would feel most comfortable going to them to help me through the
process."
CARE’s website wants to help students from the ground up on
any sexual assault advice and students can find more information about them
through their website, http://www.health.umd.edu/care.
