It's a dark and windy Thursday night on Main Street. The mindless chatter pouring out of the late night haunts as you head back to your dorm alone, clutching a piece of DHOP pizza. As you cut through C Lot, you look around to make sure you're alone. The blue lights glimmer in the distance. How safe do you feel on campus?
Last week, at Keene State College, there were three cases of sexual assault reported to campus safety. While this does seem like a lot, according to Christopher Santiago, director of campus safety at Keene, "Most sexual assaults that are reported here tend to happen in the fall, so while it may look like we've already got three so far, it's still around average for the year."
According to Mary Mayhew, the director of the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Programs office (SHARPP), the number of reported sexual assault cases at UNH hasn't increased so far this year.
So far this year, only one instance of assault has been reported to the police, according to the online police log through the UNH Police Department's website. Sexual assault and rape are the two crimes that are least likely to be reported, according to Mayhew.
The Clery Report, a yearly report detailing the crime statistics of UNH, shows a decrease in the number of forcible sex offences. The number of reported sex offences from 2004 was 17, which dropped to 10 reported cases in 2006.
On campus, there are numerous resources for students who may face the issue of sexual assault, including SHARPP. The program's site states "SHARPP provides services to victims/survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence and stalking regardless of gender, age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental, emotional ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, socio-economic status, race, national origin, immigration status, or religious or political affiliation."
SHARPP also offers a 24-hour crisis line at (603) 862-7233. The counseling center is also available for support in dealing with sexual assault or domestic violence. Additional services are available to all students, including legal accompaniment, support groups, advocacy and crisis intervention.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and SHARPP is sponsoring events and hosting speakers in honor of the month. A calendar with all the October events will soon be published on SHARPP's website.
Students are also able to enroll in Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes. These classes are put on at the Hamel Rec Center and are coordinated by the UNH Police Department. Classes are free for all students, faculty and staff. Information for RAD can be found at campusrec.unh.edu.
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