NCJ Number
90242
Date Published
1981
Length
13 pages
Annotation
In response to growing concern about assaults and rapes on campus and in the surrounding community, the staff of the Womencenter at Oakland Community College (OCC) initiated a program of rape/assault prevention and assistance to victims.
Abstract
After collecting data on violence in the community and on campus, Womencenter representatives obtained support from the college's Academic Senate for a formal program to deal effectively with concerns about student safety. A collegewide task force was created to devise and implement a continuing program of information, prevention, and assistance. Their activities included the establishment of procedures for reporting assaults, for providing medical examinations and care for victims, and for counseling or referral; providing self-defense classes; and sponsoring informational forums. Additional activities included the production of a brochure on steps to take if one becomes a victim, the development of presentations on the problem of violence for in-class use, and the provision of additional telephones and improved lighting on campus. Another aspect of OCC's program was the recruitment and training of student and community volunteers to provide support and information for rape/assault victims. Following screening procedures to ensure the participants' compatibility with the intent of the program, volunteers attended an orientation session and a ten-hour seminar on assault. College and public response to the program has been positive. (Responses in Education (ERIC) abstract)