![\"\"](\"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/files\/2012\/04\/080327-F-9999B-001.jpg\")
<\/a>Diamond Jenkins<\/strong> In any class on a college or university campus, there is a woman who has experienced an instance of sexual assault.\u00a0 In fact, according to statistics, one in four college-aged women report experiences that meet the legal definitions of rape or attempted rape.<\/p>\n One assault victim who is a current student at Jackson State University talked about her experience, on the condition that her identity is protected.<\/p>\n \u201cThe difference between me and a lot of other victims is I knew who my attacker was. (At the time) we were involved, but no means no and he did not take that as an answer. I did not report my crime because he was well known in his hometown and I honestly thought no one would believe me,\u201d the JSU senior said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt took me years and the occasional battle with depression to overcome what happened to me. I am glad to say that I have moved passed it and I am not allowing the attack to dictate my future,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n According to www.oneinfourusa.org\/statistics.php: April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.<\/p>\n Durante Lee, a freshman mathematics major from Jackson, Miss., said \u201cWhen you think about a sexual assault victim, you automatically assume it is a female, but that is the least of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jackson State students will find help and information available through many departments on campus, such as the Natasha Norman Counseling Center, Student Health Services, the Applied Psychology Clinic, Social Work\/SMHART Institute, Alcohol and Drug Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Department of Public Safety.<\/p>\n The Jackson Rape Crisis Center which represents nine rape crisis centers in Mississippi collaborates with the Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA).\u00a0 MCASA supports local programs and educates service providers to become better advocates for victims of rape and sexual assault. These programs are located in Biloxi, Columbus, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Meridian, Natchez, Oxford and Tupelo. www.mscasa.org, who is the executive director of MCASA.<\/p>\n In recognition of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to bring attention to the subject, the SMHART Institute along with Patty Peck Honda will host a car signing and a free $500 raffle near the Jacobs L. Reddix Hall Pavilion on April 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Jackson Medical Mall College of Public Service Health Complex on April 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Diamond Jenkins Blue & White Flash \/ Staff Writer In any class on a college or university campus, there is a woman who has experienced…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_plus_post_options":"{}","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1035"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1035\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBlue & White Flash \/ Staff Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u2022 One in four college women report surviving rape (15 percent) or attempted rape (12 percent) since their fourteenth birthday.
\n\u2022 In a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease control of 5,000 college students at over 100 colleges, 20 percent of women answered \u201cyes\u201d to the question \u201cIn your lifetime have you been forced to submit to sexual intercourse against your will?\u201d Thus, one in five college women has been raped at some point in her lifetime.
\n\u2022 In a typical academic year, 3 percent of college women report surviving rape or attempted rape. This does not include the summer, when many more rapes occur.<\/p>\n