Sexual Harassment and Assault on Campus

Despite recent incidents of sexual assault on campus, representatives from the health center and the Shepherd University police department say that students are still safe.

The Shepherd University Police Department recently released a campus security and fire report for the month of January which contained two reports of sexual assault and one case of harassment on campus.

Many Shepherd University students are surprised by this report.

Amanda LeHew, a freshman elementary education major, said "It actually scares me a little bit to know that even sexual assault can happen on a small campus such as Shepherd. I mean, it happens everywhere, I didn't think it would happen as much here."

Not everyone seemed to be as surprised at this incident. Gerald McAllister, a senior environmental science major, said "It's a college campus. Whenever you have kids getting away from home for the first time, they tend to excess with alcohol and drugs which leads to lapses in judgment. It's a recipe for disaster".

Campus police officer, Sgt. D.L. Kelvington, agrees that it is these components of college life that can get students into dangerous situations and that the police department does their best to try and help students take preventative measures.

He said, "The first thing we do as a department is go to the dorms and teach skill life training. We teach the students to have a plan so they don't have to become a victim."

These programs are designed to help students have a plan in case they find themselves in a dangerous situation and how they can prevent these situations in the first place. These tips include everything from watching their drinks at parties to locking the doors to their dorm rooms to how to escape when they find themselves in a potential harmful situation.

Sgt. Kelvington said, "I call these tips ‘muscle memory.' If you get into good habits about protecting yourself, you are less likely to become a victim."

Director of counseling, Barbara Byers, also states that preventative measures can help students avoid not only becoming a victim of sexual harassment or assault, but also from becoming a perpetrator.

She said, "In cases of sexual harassment, the situation arises more from ignorance than from malice. Students aren't always aware of how hurtful they can be."

The Health Center makes it a priority to educate students on sexual assault and harassment. These programs include the annual Sexual Assault Awareness Week that is held each semester, speakers that are invited to the campus to speak with students, and R.A. programs in resident halls.

Of course, prevention does not always work. McAllister went on to say that he's known someone who dealt with sexual assault on campus but did not report it. He said, "It's an embarrassing affair. And with the way double standards work, the girl gets the dirty end of the stick".

Byers said that not everyone will want to come forward about their experiences and most that do come forward are usually referred by a trusted friend or faculty member. She adds that there are many outlets for a student to seek help if they have been harassed or assaulted, including the school ombudsperson, Karen Green, the Civility Response Team, and the campus police department.

Sgt. Kelvington still hopes that preventative education will keep this number of reports from rising. He said, "I'd like to say that we are building lions and not lambs. If every student could become a lion, there wouldn't be any bad guys left around here."