A panel of sexual assault experts met Monday night in the Student Union for a seminar aimed at increasing student awareness of sexual assault and rape issues, and although it was open to the public, few people were actually in attendance.
The panel consisted of a legal representative, an emergency room nurse, a police investigator and an assistant district attorney.
Helene Cali, assistant director for Group Legal Services, said that these seminars usually do not attract a large audience.
"We have two seminars each semester," Cali said. "We only get about ten people that attend the meetings, even though it is a highly promoted event."
Heather Hale, a senior majoring in nutrition, believed the seminar was poorly advertised.
"I don't feel it was highly promoted," Hale said. "I only saw flyers for it outside the Wellness Education Center."
But while attendance may not have been high, the event's message was still strong.
"We want students to know that there are options," said Robin Wiktorski, director of Health Education and Human Services. "We want people that have been sexually assaulted or raped to know that there are resources available, on and off campus."
Contrary to popular belief, outreach programs dealing with sexual assault and rape are not exclusively targeted to women.
"It's not just for women, it's for men too," Wiktorski said. "Men often feel embarrassed or ashamed to say they were sexually assaulted, especially if it was by another man. Then they are forced to deal with issues concerning homosexuality."
While it is important to be aware of safety to prevent sexual assault and rape, it is equally valuable to be realistic about the facts.
According to Scott Riodan, assistant district attorney at the Sexual Assault Bureau, the majority of rapes are committed in the third degree, which means the rapist is already acquainted with the victim.
Also, incidents of rape very rarely take place as the common stereotype often portrayed by the media: a stranger lurking in the bushes, springing out at a woman walking alone at night.
"In the entire time I have been doing this job (assistant district attorney), which has been four years, I have seen maybe two cases at most where this was the situation," Riodan said.
Jeanine Schnell, an emergency room nurse, spoke on the more common danger of being drugged while going out drinking.
"If you see someone in a bar with something like Visine or a bottle of Sweet Breath, a red flag should be going up," Schnell said.
Fortunately, these types of incidents are unlikely in Erie County, according to Riodan.
According to Stephanie Cole, a representative for Group Legal Services, going to court can be very difficult for a victim, as legal jargon in the courtroom completely changes the connotation of the event.
"In court, the word 'rape' becomes 'alleged incident,' and the word 'victim' becomes 'complainant,' Cole said. "So now this horrendous act of being raped is an alleged incident, and the victim who suffered it is a complainer."
Cole made a comparison to the Godfather movie, in which the family of the rape victim sought revenge on their own terms, instead of going through the lengthy court process.
"Immediate justice is craved by the victim and their family," Cole said. "Unfortunately, that does not happen in court because of the defense."
Those that were in attendance said the seminar was useful and thought more students should take an interest in future discussions.
Hale said she thought attending seminars for sexual assault and rape should be required as part of 101 classes for freshmen, and according to Riodan, college students usually fall within the age bracket with the highest risk for sexual assault, aged 18 to 24.
"It's such an important subject to be aware of, especially during college years," Hale said.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
