Sinclair’s annual Safety Expo took place on September 14, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the plaza of Building 10. At the Safety Expo, Sinclair groups, law enforcement agencies and community organizations provided information on how to stay safe on and off campus.
Some topics included emergency alerts, smoking policies and consequences, sexual assault policy and sex predator information. Emergency alerts can be sent to anyone via text message. Students and others can register to receive these text messages at www.nixle.com.
Smoking policies and consequences will be explained in detail. This included an explanations of designated smoking areas and the state laws which dictate those location requirements.
Leaders of the Safety Expo provided information on sexual assault as it pertains to college campuses. The Safety Expo provided students with resources pertaining to sexual assault. Some examples of resources in Montgomery County include the Artemis Center for Alternatives to Domestic Violence, and the Montgomery County Prosecutor. Resources were provided for multiple local counties.
Sexual assault on college campuses is an issue that is frequently in public eye both nationally and locally. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), a self-report survey indicated that completed or attempted rape victimization may occur between 20 and 25 percent of women over their college career. The NSVRC also states that for any given academic year, 35 rapes will occur per 1,000 female students.
The Justice Department conducted their own research from data between 1995 to 2013, which indicated a conflicting finding that women were more likely to be victimized if they were not college students, between age groups 18 to 24. The Bureau of Justice Statistics also states that 6.1 per 1,000 female students will experience sexual assault or rape per year.
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Despite conflicting and controversial reports on sexual assault and rape on college campuses, the issue itself is a reality.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available. At the Sinclair Dayton Campus, assault victims can call the Sinclair Police at 937-512-2700 or dial 911 from any campus phone. If the attack occurs off campus, one should notify the Dayton Police Department before alerting Sinclair Police. If the attack happens on campus, the victim can report the attack on campus, report the attack to the Dayton Police Department, or both.
Rape and sexual assault can often go unreported. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), only one in five female college students between the ages of 18 and 24 will report their rape. Reasons included believing the police could not or would not do anything to help, not wanting to get the perpetrator in trouble, believing the rape was a personal matter, believing their assault was not important enough to report, among other reasons.
Information about Title IX was provided at the Safety Expo. Title IX “evaluates, investigates, and resolves complaints alleging sex discrimination,” according to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. Sinclair Community College’s Title IX coordinator is Janet Jones. Jones can be reached at 937-512-2514.
Maggie Stacey
Reporter