The Hopkins Sexual Assault Response Unit (SARU) hosted a panel discussion this week to address trends in sexual assault at the University and the measures taken for victims.
According to statistics published by the Department of Education, Hopkins had one forcible sexual offense in 2005 and none in 2006 and 2007. This data does not reflect all instances of sexual assault reported to campus officials, however. Dorothy Sheppard, the associate dean of Student Life said that this year she has dealt with three instances of sexual assault, and one of them was brought before the conduct board.
In discussions after the panel, Sheppard said that the number of cases of sexual assault that she sees every year at Hopkins are typically around two to four. However, Clare King, a consultant for SARU who also works in the Hopkins Counseling Center, said that in the past year there had been an increase; five instances of sexual assault had come to her attention through the counseling center and SARU.
According to a survey by the National Institute of Justice, the Department of Justice's research agency, 15.5 percent of female college students experience some form of sexual victimization each year. This includes the use of either physical or non-physical force and threats of sexual assault.
Monday's panel discussion, called Hopkins: SVU, included representatives from the Baltimore Police Department and the director of Mercy Hospital's SAFE program, as well as members of University staff - Sheppard, King and Alain Joffe, director of the Student Health and Wellness Center. Senior Lauren Drake, who was a victim of sexual assault also participated in the panel relating her experiences.
According to Steve Ossmus, an investigator and spokesperson for Campus Safety and Security, the Office of Student Life prepares an anonymous list of sexual assaults that have occurred to Hopkins students, specifying the location and nature of the assault. This list is then forwarded to the Campus Safety and Security office, which uses this information to prepare statistics on criminal offenses at Hopkins following the guidelines of the Jeanne Clery Act.
Ossmus was not available to comment at press time on what events the University reports under these guidelines.
Sheppard and King noted that alcohol is commonly associated with instances of sexual assault. They both agreed that instances in which students blacked out or suffered from memory loss had increased in recent years.
"Whether it is because of increasing use of hard liquor, greater binge drinking or some other factor, these more ambiguous situations have been more common in recent years," Sheppard said.
Those situations may pose greater difficulty for potential victims.
"When a victim is thinking back and recognizes she was impaired, that often compounds the feelings of guilt and responsibility. They tell themselves, 'If only I hadn't drunk so much, if only I could remember more clearly, this wouldn't have happened,'" King said. "It's important to emphasize that nothing the victim did justifies or allows this to happen."
In recounting her experience with sexual assault during her senior year of high school, Drake also discussed the victim's feeling of guilt.
"I know intellectually that I didn't do anything wrong, that it's not my fault. But emotionally, there are still feelings or thoughts at times that make you feel guilty," she said.
During the panel discussion, Detective Caprice Smith of the Baltimore Police Department explained how the ambiguity surrounding rape can play out in the wider community.
"Rape is one of the only instances in which people are questioned very strongly. People are always asking, 'No, wait. What really happened?'," Smith said.
All of the panel members emphasized the need to listen and support the victims of a sexual assault.
Sheppard and King both noted that the vast majority of sexual assaults that come to their attention were sexual assaults where both the victim and assailant were Hopkins students. This mirrors national statistics.
The panel discussion highlighted many of the resources available, both at Hopkins and in the city, including those at the Health and Wellness Center and at Mercy Hospital. The SAFE program at Mercy provides STD testing and sophisticated rape kit testing for sexual assault victims.
The panel also highlighted that in 2009 a new federal law, often referred to as the Jane Doe law, would come into effect providing funds for rape victims to receive emergency room forensic rape exams free of charge. The results of these exams will be sealed and held on file in case victims decide at a later time to press charges.
All the representatives from Hopkins who spoke emphasized the availability of confidential support services on campus.
"Our first priority is to give people the medical attention they need, and then the counseling and support they need. Sexual assault is a very traumatic experience, but so often people are afraid to come forward about it," Sheppard said.
"We do everything we can to make it easy and comfortable for people to come forward. We never pressure students to press charges or to tell others, but we want to be a resource for support. Oftentimes it's as easy as listening and giving advice."
King also explained how the counseling center responds to student needs after a traumatic experience.
"I try to listen and understand what it is she needs ... It's important to be an advocate for her. If that means listening, we're always available for that. I also work with the school to intervene on her behalf to manage her course load, seek extensions or even a leave of absence. It's important to provide accommodations to take stress off after such an emotionally taxing experience," King said.
