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Your college
campus should be 100 percent safe. Unfortunately,
there are cases where students, especially females,
might become victims of violent crimes. No need
to unpack your suitcases. See what schools are
doing to keep campus safer and put an end to the
violence.
Colleges are
Taking a Stand to Stop
the Violence Against Women
By Feona Sharhran
Huff
February 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Hey girls,
think about this: Why do you want to attend college?
A) To learn about a professional career.
B) To run track or play another sport.
C) To join social and political organizations
that will help build your resume.
D) To become a victim of violent crimes, including
domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Most of you will undoubtedly
say answer A, B, or C. So why is answer D even
an option if you'd never choose it?
Regardless of your reason for going to college,
there is a possibility that either you or one
of your female peers may become a victim of a
violent crime, that's why.
According to Angela Richardson,
coordinator of the group, Women Of All Faces at
Howard University, Washington, D.C., there were
15 reported cases of violent crimes against women
on campus during the 1999-2000 academic year.
What's being done to combat this problem? A lot!
Howard University and other
institutions of higher learning across the country
are actively working to eradicate the violence
through education, training, and workshops, thanks
to thousands of dollars being awarded by the Grants
to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women On Campuses
Program. Since being awarded $466,487 in 1999,
Howard University has successfully accomplished
many of its goals. This year, they are continuing
their efforts.
"It's important to combat
violent crimes against women on campus," says
Richardson. "We want to create a safer environment,
not perpetuate the violence." In conjunction with
the Men's Rape Prevention Project, Richardson
and Women Of All Faces will offer training to
athletes on date rape, sexual assault, and violence
against women this February. Additionally, the
D.C. Rape Crisis Center trains student-peer educators
the second Thursday of every month. "It's easier
for victims to go to their peers rather than an
administrator," explains Richardson. "Peer educators
can counsel them, be their advocate, or go with
them to the hospital."
Richardson adds that Women
Of All Faces is working with Planned Parenthood
and several other organizations to bring informative
workshops to campus. In addition, the
group is currently planning workshop topics, including
Rape Aggression Defense; Domestic Violence; Women,
Hip-Hop, and Violence; Hard Core Love -- To Control
or Not To Control: Why Men Abuse; and Healthy
Love Party, which will be a gathering that focuses
on communication and the types of signals people
give off and perceive.
In March, which is Women's
History Month, Richardson says Women Of All Faces
will host a two-part series on the legal issues
of domestic violence and assault, as well as a
round table discussion regarding race, gender,
class and sexuality, including how phobias invoke
violence and how to understand each other's differences.
The organization will also provide a workshop
entitled 'He Said, She Said,' a co-gender discussion
about relationships and dispelling myths about
the opposite sex.
"In domestic violence, we
tend to leave the men out. But they want to be
a part of the learning, too," says Richardson.
With
schools putting forth a conscious effort to end
violence on campus, all of you soon-to-be college
women (and men) can feel safer and be free to
focus on the most important aspect of college
-- education!
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