Dear Letter to Editor,

I am quite upset that GVSU tries to “hush-hush” situations like sexual assault. It does happen and it is not the universities fault, although a universities duty to providing safety is to provide safety and knowledge. Sexual assault does not just happen at colleges but everywhere else. It’s important to not be blinded by the situation but to help prevent it. For those who have been sexually assaulted or raped, sometimes do not go to get help, due to fact of reputation, worrying, feeling as though no one can help, and publicity. However, when a person does seek help, and then is threatened by an authority like police or a university, in attempts to blind people of the situation, and scare the victim, well how is this going to help those to prevent from being sexually assaulted?
President Haas has said “A crime or an incident that puts someone in harm’s way or that appears suspicious should be reported immediately to campus police. If for any reason you are unsure of how to proceed, do not hesitate to seek out anyone in authority, up to and including me”, but will this really help the fact that a person is already scared and may be intimidated by authority if they feel they will not get help and that the assaulter is still out there (whether be student or not)? About 300,000 women are raped each year and 3.7 million women are subjected to other forms of unwanted sexual activity (Bonnar-Kidd, 2010). One in six American women has been or will be sexually assaulted during her life (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998).
Traumatic events such as rape and sexual assault have profound long-term psychological effects on all victims; these include: denial, helplessness, dislike of sex, anger, self-blame, anxiety, shame, nightmares, fear, depression, flashbacks, guilt, rationalization, mood-swings, numbness, promiscuity, loneliness, social anxiety, difficulty trusting oneself or others, difficulty concentrating, family and friends experience emotional scarring including a strong desire for revenge, a desire to “fix’ the problem and/or move on, and a rationalization that “it wasn’t that bad” (Bacik et al., 1998).
GVSU police department has this to say on their website “Survivors of sexual assault are encouraged to contact the GVSU Police Department. All of our male and female police officers are trained in handling incidents of sexual assault and are available to meet with you. Contacting law Enforcement does not mandate a police report. Every step of this process is your choice; If desired, an officer will meet you privately at a place of your choice or If you are an adult, we will not notify your parents but can facilitate, if requested, or officer’s will assist by connecting you to on campus and area sexual assault resources including medical services, transportation to the nurse examiner program, confidential counseling services, obtaining personal protection orders or connecting with other police agencies in the event that the assault did not occur on campus, or If desired, your case will be investigated and you will be regularly updated on its status, or If desired, your case can be submitted for criminal prosecution, university judicial proceedings, or as a civil matter. This does not have to be done when you talk to an officer. You and your concerns will be treated with courtesy, sensitivity, dignity, understanding and professionalism. You will be listened to without judgment or blame for what occurred. Your circumstances will be considered regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or gender status of the suspect. Post incident, we will continue to be available for questions and answers regarding your options in this matter….The university will make all reasonable efforts to ensure the preservation of confidentiality, restricting information only to those with a legitimate need for it. Survivors are encouraged to connect with university and community resources. University Counseling Center may notify the survivor about university and community resources.”
What I am getting at is that this cannot be a blinded situation, since it does happen. The university feeling that it would make them look bad is their own problem, but safety of its students is the concern they should care about, not image. Preventing situations like this is first steps in dealing with the situation. So to all who have been sexually assaulted use resources available, get help. Don’t be afraid to get tested or seek help, because you will end up with psychological problems that can take years to fix.

Sincerely,
Danielle Krause
Senior at Grand Valley State University
B.S. Art and Design, and Psychology Major