Campus Rape Still a Problem

TORRINGTON — High school graduates on their way to college should be aware that campus rape remains a problem across the country, with the Department of Justice reporting that 3 percent of college women experience rape or attempted rape each year, and organizations like the Susan B. Anthony Project in Torrington are working to prevent sexual abuse and care for victims.

“Most all colleges and universities, during the orientation process, are doing their work to keep students safe,� said Jeanne Fusco, associate director of the Susan B. Anthony Project. “We have both crisis and non-crisis services, we have a 24-hour hotline and we have one-on-one services. We do peer crisis support and advocacy.�

The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act, enacted in 1990, requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. The act was later renamed the Jeanne Clery Act in memory of a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman who was raped and murdered in her residence hall on April 5, 1986. The Jeanne Clery Act has been amended three times since its enactment, extending requirements to give victims of assaults certain basic rights and eventually, in 2003, to notify the campus community about registered sex offenders on campus.

Fusco said victims of sexual assault have choices in the actions they wish to take following an incident. Help is available to those who seek it, but many victims do not come forward. The FBI estimates that only 37 percent of all rapes are reported to the police. U.S. Justice Department statistics are even lower, with only 26 percent of all rapes or attempted rapes being reported to law enforcement officials.

“What we do is, when we become aware, we will always let a victim know about their options,� said Fusco. “If we get a phone call with in the first 72 hours, evidence can be collected. What we try to do always, when any person is calling us, is to let them know what their options are in reference to their current safety, like having blood work done to check for sexually transmitted diseases or to contact the authorities to make a report. When someone makes a report, if there’s a lot of investigation that needs to take place, for many victims there is a delay between the report and the action.�

In 2005, only a handful of cases of forcible rape were reported on Connecticut college campuses, including five reported cases at Yale University, two cases at UConn, two at Southern Connecticut State University and four at Eastern Connecticut State University.

The Susan B. Anthony Project works toward promoting the autonomy of women and the safety of victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault, as well as promoting community action toward ending such violence. Fusco said it’s the option of the victim to take action or to speak with someone, but emotional problems can reappear years after the initial incident.

Fusco said emotional support services are offered to victims from the time an incident is reported, through hospital and police visits and into the future.

“Sometimes that happens years later,� she said. “All our services are confidential and I think confidentiality during this process is one of the greatest supports to healing.�

For more information or to contact a representative for services, call the Susan B. Anthony Project at 860-489-3798. A 24-hour crisis hotline can be reached at 860-482-7133.