ake Back the Night, a walk to raise awareness of sexual assault on campus, will be held Wednesday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. The walk will begin and conclude on the Brossman Commons Terrace. Students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend the walk and show support for victims of sexual violence.
Take Back the Night will begin with a pre-walk rally to discuss sexual assault on campus. Attendees who want to speak about the issue are encouraged to do so during the rally. After the rally, the group will walk around the Elizabethtown College campus to take back the night from sexual violence.
Junior Katherine Tripp, a sociology and anthropology major with a minor in women and gender studies, is working with Dr. Rita Shah, assistant professor of sociology, in planning this event. “The walk is a statement that this is our campus and we have the right to feel safe on it,” Tripp said.
When the group returns to the BSC Terrace, there will be concluding comments and the floor will once again be open for any additional remarks.
Before and after the walk, information will be given to students about the resources available on campus and in the Etown community for victims of sexual assault. Pamphlets about sexual assault will be available at Take Back the Night. In addition, Counseling Services is always available to students who want to discuss incidents of sexual assault or any other concerns they have. There are domestic violence hotlines that can be called as well if a victim of sexual violence needs help.
“Students should know that if a professor hears of an incident of sexual violence, the professor is required to ask about it, and, if you tell them, which you don’t have to, they are required to report it,” Tripp said. “If a student ever feels threatened I encourage them to call Campus Security or use the blue boxes. If students are off campus, don’t hesitate to call the police.”
According to the HealthyLife Student Self-Care Guide on the College’s website, “Sexual assault is an unlawful act that may involve the touching of intimate body parts, sexual intimidation, or forced sexual penetration. Force may be by verbal threats, physical restraint or violence.” It is estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of women in higher educational institutions are victims of attempted or completed rape over the course of a college career, according to the National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, women aren’t the only victims. In a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control of 5,000 college students at over 100 colleges, four percent of men said they were at some time in their life forced to have sexual intercourse against their will. With that being said, Take Back the Night is an event relevant to all students on campus.
Tripp wants students to know that they are not alone if they do become victims of sexual assault. There is a support system in line. In a survey done by the Department of Justice, it was estimated that less than five percent of completed and attempted rapes of college females in the United States are reported to the police or campus officials. “I do not want students to be afraid to report incidents of sexual violence,” Tripp said. “There are plenty of individuals around who can and want to help. If students on campus know that there is a community of support behind them and know what the resources are, then if they, or anyone they know ever becomes a victim, they will know where to turn to get help, and maybe they won’t be afraid to do so.”
Tripp has received support from multiple academic departments on campus as well as Student Wellness and the Office of Diversity. Both students and faculty on campus have offered to help. The campus has really been pulling together to make this event happen. “I am appreciative of all the support that has been offered to me and could not have put this event on without it,” Tripp said.
For more information on sexual assault and violence and how to get help, visit The United States Department of Justice sexual assault page at ovw.usdoj.gov/sexassault.htm.help.
