Most UA rapes happen in first month, stats show

Most sexual assaults occur within the first month of school to 18- to 19-year-old women, said Matt Sanders, assistant director of the Oasis Center for sexual assault and relationship violence. His office has produced studies on the UA population to verify this.

Sanders said 18- to 19-year-old women are most likely to become victims of sexual assault or rape during the first few weeks of school.

"There's an excessive amount of socializing that goes on as people orient themselves to the scene," Sanders said. "It's a time when people are most vulnerable because they're testing their boundaries and limits in regards to sexual contact and alcohol use."

A 1987 study conducted by UA professor Mary Koss showed that one in four women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime and that 84 percent of the rape victims knew the perpetrator.

Five rapes and one attempted rape were reported to university police last year, said Cmdr. Brian Seastone, of the UA Police Department.

Staying safe

"People need to be safe and aware of their surroundings," Seastone said. "We try to tell people to watch their alcohol intake, effectively communicate with the person they are seeing, or going out with, and let someone know where you are and who you're going out with."

Sanders said more than 60 percent of reported sexual assaults at the UA involve alcohol.

Arizona law states that if either partner consumes alcohol, legal consent to sex cannot be given and the potential for rape is present.

A 1996 study by Antonia Abbey, an assistant professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, showed that 95 percent of campus sexual assaults involved alcohol use by either the man, woman or both.

Alcohol is also dangerous because of the possibility of being slipped a "date rape" drug, Sanders said.

"People need to have someone watch their drinks," Seastone said. "Tucson is seeing an increase of roofies (rohypnol) put into their drinks, so people may not know about a sexual assault because they pass out."

Date rape drugs commonly cause memory loss and disorientation, Sanders said.

"It's very problematic for people to pinpoint that they've had a date rape drug used on them because they can't remember," Sanders said.

"People who use the (date rape) drugs obviously don't really care about the person they're with. They may be using massive doses or doing things that can lead to death," Sanders said. "This is a very powerful depressant and if you slow someone's heart enough you can kill them."

Partner communication

Koss's study found that 84 percent of men who had committed what met the legal definition of rape said they did not feel that what they did was actually rape.

Sanders said that sexual assault is defined by Arizona law as any unwanted sexual contact, mostly centered around the breasts, anus and genitals. Rape is defined as unwanted penetration.

Dan Reilly, adviser for the Campus Acquaintance Rape Educators, said a student health survey conducted in the spring of 1998 found that 90 percent of last year's freshman had one or no sexual partners.

Reilly also quoted a survey of incoming freshman men that states that the majority have had one or no sexual partners, but that they plan to increase that number once at the UA.

He added that men need to make sure they have consent from their partner before engaging in sexual activity.

"Be very certain, especially if you're not sexually experienced, to talk to your partner and make sure you're getting consent and everyone is OK with what's going on," he said. "Make it good for both people - if the woman is enjoying the experience, she'll make it pretty clear."

Changing statistics

Women are not the only victims of rape and sexual assault, men are at risk as well, Sanders said.

"One in six men are assaulted in a lifetime," Sanders said, adding that both men and women frequently use the center.

"It's really important for men to realize they are also at risk because we've labeled this as a woman's issue for way too long," Sanders said. "Everyone needs to be concerned about it and invested in changing it."

Sanders said that sexual assault and rape statistics are changing.

"Two years ago we had maybe eight cases of sexual assault or relationship violence," Sanders said. "Now we have many more."

"We've had an increase in reported cases but we don't want to confuse that with an increase in violence - people are just talking about it more and more services are provided so people can get out, get medical and legal advice and find themselves in a safe place," Sanders said.

He said that between 1995 and 1997 there were about 80 sexual assaults and 80 instances of relationship violence reported to the Oasis center.

"It's nice to have a clear picture of what happens in a college setting as opposed to perpetrating the silence - if you can't talk about it, you can't do anything about it," Sanders said.

Seastone stressed the importance of counseling for all victims.

"The important thing is for someone to go and get help at the hospital because they need to talk to someone psychologically to get through the matter," Seastone said.

After an attack

He said an Arizona statute provides sexual assault victims with free hospital treatment. Hospital personnel are required to notify police if they treat a sexual assault victim. Police who come to the hospital to file a report, however, cannot force someone to talk about the experience.

Freedom Rice, a crisis intervention coordinator for the Tucson Rape Crisis Center, said a quick phone call to the Sexual Assault Resource Service can arrange for a trained nurse and counselor to be with the victim at the hospital.

Reilly said the resource service nurses were volunteers, with special training in sexual assault and emergency exams after an attack.

Following an assault, victims are given the option of preserving evidence by completing a series of examinations called a rape kit. The examinations must be conducted within 72 hours of the attack.

"The physical exam for the rape kit is solely for collecting evidence," Rice said. "If the victim doesn't want to prosecute they won't receive an exam."

Seastone urges any victim to complete the rape kit, even if they are not certain they want to prosecute the perpetrator.

"We ask that you allow us to gather evidence because sometimes you can't make that decision (whether or not to prosecute) on the spot," Seastone said.

Immediately after an attack, anyone who has been sexually assaulted or raped should be careful not to throw away clothes, douche, shower or in any other way destroy physical evidence, Sanders said. Police recommend placing each article of clothing in a paper bag to avoid the risk of contamination.

"The real danger is letting this stuff take over your life, not receiving medical attention, not knowing your options and not getting counseling," Sanders said. "It can really get in the way of your goals, academic, personal and professional."

Getting informed

Seastone said UAPD gives presentations throughout the year on personal safety and prevention and also talks to Residence Life, Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and student athletes.

The Tucson Rape Crisis Center has a 24-hour help line for rape victims and Oasis offers free, completely confidential counseling for anyone seeking support.

Sanders said that victims should realize they are not alone.

If a friend is a victim, Reilly said to be supportive and feel free to ask questions of the Oasis or Tucson Rape Crisis centers.

"Educate your friends," Reilly said. "If you have a friend in need, ask questions for them."

Sexual Assault Facts

84 percent of women raped knew the perpetrator Most sexual assaults occur within the first month of school and to women between the ages of 18 and 19 84 percent of men who had committed acts that met the legal definition of rape said that what they had done was definitely not rape One in four women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime One in six men will be sexually assaulted in his lifetime 60 percent of reported sexual assaults at the UA involved alcohol No one can legally give consent to sex after drinking any alcohol 90 percent of UA freshmen in 1997 and 1998 reported having one or no sexual partners

Sources: "The Scope of Rape: Incidence and Prevalence of Sexual Aggression and Victimization in a National Sample of Higher Education Students" by Dr. Mary Koss, a UA professor, a UA student health survey conducted in 1998 and the Oasis Center for Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence.