Focus
f
The Daily Tar HeelWednesday, April 19, 19895
i llll
111 f ' - - A feitc
On-campus groups offer
preventive help,
By LEIGH PRESSLEY
and CHERYL ALLEN
Staff Writers
he phone rang and rang, but
no one ever answered.
These rings echoed in the
office of SAFE Escort, one of two
; major UNC student groups working
to increase campus safety.
When the phone was finally ans
wered, Scott Bricker, a senior from
; Winston-Salem and a SAFE escort
;for four years, said somebody
.should have been working that
inight.
1 "I don't know why nobody is
:here. A lot of escort people haven't
; showed up for work, which really
'.stinks," he said.
: SAFE services are available to
I anyone needing an escort back to
: their dormitory room, across town
.'or anywhere on campus. But the ser
Ivice has been plagued by a lack of
I serious volunteers and is now suffer
ing from transition problems.
l The SAFE escort program serves
:the entire UNC campus Sunday
: through Thursday from 7 p.m. to
: midnight. A student who makes a
! phone call to 962-SAFE will be
; given a description of the escort who
.'will walk him or her any place on
; campus, as well as to Granville and
.'apartments near Franklin Street.
: Only 30 escorts are now working.
;Thc service is not open on the week
ends because SAFE escort cannot
find students who will volunteer to
escort on weekend nights, Bricker
said.
Some students have expressed the
need for a weekend escort service.
However, Bill Craver, a sophomore
from Atlanta who began as the
director of the service in January,
said he felt the response would be
low.
; "Nobody wants to do it and peo
; pic probably wouldn't call anyway."
; Craver said most people were with a
;date or in a group on the weekend.
X Bricker said a weekend escort ser
vice was needed. "There are more
!; people in Chapel Hill on the wee
kends that aren't students. It's the
worst time to be walking alone at
jjhight."
jj! In addition to problems with lack
1-f-volunteers, the SAFE escort pro
gram appears to have several wrin
kles to iron out in the organization
of the program, according to Robert .
Freeland, a sophomore from Char
lotte and the North Campus super
visor of the program.
"This semester has been a good
example of how not to do things,"
he said. "It's been undependable and
I'm aware of that."
Some volunteers did not realize
the seriousness of the job, he said. "I
don't think the people that were
contacted got it into their minds that
the job is serious."
Bricker said he was not aware of
any screening process of the escort
volunteers. His only interview was a
phone call to determine when he
wanted to work. "I don't think they
can judge from a phone call if it's a
person volunteering for the wrong
reason."
Craver recruited volunteers in
January by going to dormitories and
classrooms to find interested people
willing to work. There was no inter
view process, and he said he did not
believe the lack of screening of
escort applicants was a safety threat.
"I think that's unrealistic. They're
all students here. We wouldn't turn
anybody (who volunteers to escort)
away."
Some students feel differently.
"Any mad rapist could get into
RAPE escort (the former name of
SAFE), or pretend to be from
RAPE escort. I really am paranoid
about those people (SAFE escorts)
and afraid of the kind of people they
would send me," said Karen Rad
ford, a senior from Asheville. "I'm
also afraid someone would hear me
on the phone and later come up and
tell me he's from RAPE escort I
wouldn't know the difference."
Craver said that more interest was
needed in the program. "If there was
more demand for the program it
would take care of itself." The ser
vice currently receives only three to
four calls a night.
An increased awareness is one of
the goals Craver hopes to achieve
for next year. "The fact that we're
even here may make someone think
twice about walking alone. They
might call a friend instead."
Craver said SAFE escort also
planned to open a South Campus
office next year that would provide
n i
umisaire
Anyone can
By ANNA TURNAdE
Staff Writer
and MYRNA MILLER
Assistant Features Editor
At 10:45 p.m. Lisa left her
friend's room in Aycock
Residence Hall after study
ing for three exams she had the next
day. She never took the exams.
Instead, Lisa, who asked that her
real name not be used, dropped out
of UNC three days later.
In the past she had always been
careful. "I walked with someone
else, but I never walked by myself
that late," she said.
She had not intended to walk
alone that night either. She waited
for the bus until about 1 1:30, but it
never showed. So she began making
her way to Ehringhaus Residence
Hall through the woods near Kenan
Stadium.
What happened next is something
that most people don't ever imagine
happening to themr
A tall white man with dark, curly
hair jumped out and grabbed her.
"He balled up his fist and shoved it
in my mouth and dragged me
further into the woods. I couldn't
scream because he was hurting me. I
fought at first, but he was beating
me up and I was scared. I thought
he was going to kill me."
The man then threw her to the
ground and raped her.
"When it was over I was just lying
there shaking, and he just stood up
and started laughing. I couldn't
believe he was laughing at me.
"After he left I just lay there. It
started raining but I couldn't move
because I was just shocked. I never
went to sleep; I never shut my eyes
once. I just lay there until the sun
came up."
She walked to her car at Ehring
haus parking lot and sat there with
the doors locked until 3 p.m. Then
the first-semester freshman called
her father.
"I called my dad that day and told
him to come pick me up. I told him
I hated it here and I didnt want to
go to school here anymore. Three
days later I was out of here."
support
a service from libraries on North
Campus to South Campus dormito
ries. He said some of the most dan
gerous places on campus, such as
Kenan Stadium, made an office on
South Campus a necessity.
Students should realize UNC can
be dangerous, regardless of whether
they decide to use SAFE escort,
Bricker said.
"People don't think it can happen
to them. It can happen. Our cam
pus, as beautiful as it is, can be a
dangerous place at night."
Another group of students help
ing to promote safety on campus is
the Rape Action Project, said Asso
ciate Dean of Students Kathleen
Benzaquin, who advises the project.
The project is a peer group deal
ing with the combined issues of rape
and sexual assault. According to
Benzaquin, it has developed a "stu
dent stay fund" for rape and assault
victims.
"If they need to spend the night in
the infirmary without telling their
parents or notifying the insurance
company, the fund pays for it," she
said.
"I think it is important that stu
dents understand that there are
resources on campus where they can
go to provide whatever they need."
Along with the psychological
effects of rape, the medical aspect
should not be overlooked, she said.
Student Health Service (SHS) is
well-equipped to help victims deal
with the trauma of rape, said John
Reinhold, clinical social worker at
SHS. Medical attention should
include checking for injury, preg
nancy or any sexually transmitted
diseases, he said.
Reinhold also mentioned that stu
dents need to be aware of a recent
revision of the student honor code.
Beginning in July, sexual harass
ment and date rape can be dealt
with through the honor court.
"Women will have that avenue as
well in the future," he said.
"What I recommend is to seek
some sort of support, whether it be
the rape crisis center or psychologi
cal services such as the ones at Stu
dent Health," Benzaquin said. "The
first thing is being able to talk about
it. Students shouldn't have to go
through it alone."
nm ym. own loaoxyaro
become a victim even in 'Blue Heaven'
No one knew the real reason she
wanted to leave.
"I was just too scared to tell any
body. I thought it was my fault
because I had shorts on. I didn't
want anybody to think I was a slut.
I can't believe I felt that way now."
It has been almost five years since
Lisa left UNC. "I had wanted to go
to Carolina since I was a little girl,"
she said. "Now the place just scares
me."
Secret crimes
Not telling someone sooner is
Lisa's biggest regret. She finally told
her boyfriend and her parents about
the incident four months later. By
then it was too late to catch her
attacker. "I just felt morally in the
dirt. I went through so much hell for
however many months I held it in.
"Looking back on it now, I wish
to God I had told someone. I am
begging anybody that this happens
to to tell someone."
Lisa's rape is only one of an esti
mated 80 percent that go unreported,
each year nationwide, according to
FBI predictions. Of those unre
ported rapes, 85 percent are date or
acquaintance rapes.
In North Carolina rape has shown
an increase of 12 percent over last
year, and it is the fastest growing
violent crime in the United States,
according to Orange County Rape
Crisis Center records.
From 1982 to 1988, an average of
91 rapes, attempted rapes and other
sexual assaults were reported to the
Orange County Rape Crisis Center
per year.
These numbers prove that rape
not only occurs, but occurs fre
quently in Chapel Hill. But this is
not apparent from looking at
reports filed with area police
departments.
The University police, who have . ,
jurisdiction over any crime occur
ring on the campus, have only three '
incidents of reported rape this year,
and all of those were blind (ano
nymous) reports, Sgt. Ned Comar
said.
In 1987, five rapes and four
attempted rapes were reported to the
Chapel Hill Police Department,
which handles all incidents within
city limits but excluding the campus.
In 1988 seven rapes and three .
attempted rapes were reported,
according to Chapel Hill Police
Planner Jane Cousins. ;
Silent victims
"I think we live in a very victim
blaming society as far as rape is con
cerned," said Tina Groover, com
munity education and outreach
coordinator of the Orange County
Rape Crisis Center. "That's why so '
many are afraid to come forward.
They think it's their fault when it
really isn't."
Many victims feel as if they were
personally chosen by their assailant,
she said. "A common question fol
lowing rape is 'why did they pick
r
6
Warning sign
rvk.
A sign marks one entrance to the Arboretum, a The American Medical Association estimates
location notorious for assault and rape incidents. that one in 1 2 women is raped in her lifetime.
n.
me' or 'what did I do to make them
hurt me?' They need to realize that
rapists single their victims out as
being vulnerable; they don't pick
them because they're sexy or
beautiful."
Victims are also afraid of being
embarrassed, Comar said. "They
don't want their friends and family
to know."
According to Groover, the conse
quences of not telling anyone are
worse than most victims think.
"Most rapists are repeat offenders
that's why it is most important to
get these people out of circulation,"
she said.
"It is entirely possible for a rape
victim to fully recover with the right
help. I think it's important for peo
ple to realize that."
Most female students said they
would report it if something hap
pened to them. However, Karen
Radford, a senior from Asheville,
admits it would depend on the
situation. ' .
"I think we live in a very victim
blaming society as far as rape is
concerned'
Tina Groover,
Orange County Rape Crisis Center
"If I had known him for a long
time and cared about him and
believed he really thought I meant
yes' when I said 'no', then I might
not want to ruin his whole life,"
Radford said. "If I thought he
would do it to someone else, I
would report it if 1 thought I was
the only one, I might not."
An ounce of prevention
"If somebody is coming on to you
and he's not the one you want to be
with, dont be afraid to tell him
'Back off, buster!' Be assertive!"
Comar gives the above advice to
anyone in a situation that could pos
sibly lead to rape, specifically what
is known as date or acquaintance
rape. "Don't hesitate to cause a bad
scene. You run like hell and scream
as loud as you can."
Also, "beware of your use of alco
hol," Comar said. There is an alco- .
hoi factor in a majority of the cases
the University police see or hear
about from SHS and the Rape Cri
sis Center, he said. '
Carrying Mace or other weapons
is one form of protection, but the
center does not endorse using them,
Groover said. "If you do use a wea
pon, be sure you know how to use it
and that you are willing to use it. A
lot of people aren't willing to inflict
harm on another person."
But all the warnings and advice
from the police will not do any good
unless somebody decides to pay
attention, Comar said
"I cant tell them (potential rape
victims) 'do this, do that' because
i i nuijiiiiHrnn -A
,-
V vi ft
il
... '
UV AM
ism v - it
they have to make their own
decision."
Living dangerously
Even with the high incidence of
reported and unreported rapes many
UNC students continue to walk
alone at night. Twenty-seven out of
30 UNC female students said they
had walked alone at night at least
once during the last week.
"Sometimes I walk home alone
when I'm running late from a meet
ing or at the library," Radford said.
"I don't want to wait on the bus or
SAFE escort because it takes too
long."
"I don't always wait on the bus
because I always thought moving
targets were safer than still targets,"
said Janet Stepp, a senior from
Hendersonville.
But some do heed the warnings of
friends and officials. "I always find
somebody to walk with me if it is
after 9 o'clock," said Renee Couch,
a freshman from Smithfield. "IVe
heard some bad stories, and I don't
want to become another statistic."
Just in case
If someone is attacked, it is not
her fault just because she tried to
walk home alone, Comar said. "A
woman has a right to be safe and
secure in her person and anyone
who violates that right is at fault."
After an attack occurs there are
several things a victim can do to
help herself and the police. "Call the
police immediately and we will con
tact the Rape Crisis Center and get
someone to help her," Comar said.
Groover said victims should not
wait more than 72 hours to report a
rape because bodily evidence is cru
cial. "The sooner they do that, the
better."
A victim should never change
clothes or take a bath before the
police take her to the hospital,
Comar said. "We have to get as
much information as possible to
protect her and get the evidence to
go after the person.
"While all these things are impor
tant, we stress something else to the
victim her treatment and feelings. :
If she doesn't want to report it, then
it is not forced upon her." ,
But victims should definitely tell
someone, even if it is just a friend,
Groover said.
Lisa agreed. "If it happened to
anyone I wish they would go for
ward. Now I would do anything to
see him behind bars. Every dream I
had was shot down in one night anc
that's just not fair."
1 i s -
S t
DTHTom Ciark
; 1
it