Sexual assault victims get support

Victims of sexual assault often remain silent and apprehensive about whom to turn to for help. Norwich University has taken proactive measures in order to ensure its students feel safe on and off campus, according to the director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Team of Washington County.

"The importance to me about Norwich is that Norwich isn't safe because it's in Vermont," said Bobbi Gagne, director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Team (SACT) in Washington County. "Norwich University is safe because that is one of their priorities (safety), [and] they go above and beyond."

According to Gagne, SACT provides "medical and legal advocacy" related to sexual violence to 58,000 people.

Gagne works hand-in-hand with Norwich in educating and providing an important service that students wouldn't necessarily be able to get from the university itself, according to Vivian Luna, Norwich's equal opportunity officer.

"It is a strategic partnership with the university and with a very influential non-profit agency that Bobbi runs," Luna said.

"If someone comes to me and they said this (sexual assualt) happened, I have to reach and do something," said Luna. "I am a university agent, I have to act."

If a victim of sexual violence were to approach Luna about an incident and the student wished to keep the information confidential, she (Luna) would not "adhere" to any confidential agreements, according to Luna.

"I might have to say, ‘I understand you feel that way but I have to do something,'" Luna said.

According to Luna, if a student were to be a victim of sexual harassment or violence, the student could be provided with a no-contact order against the accused.

Martha Mathis, the dean of students at Norwich, stated that "the complainant and the person being accused both receive a no-contact order."

"The complainant is told to stay away and the person who has made the allegation is told to stay away," Mathis said.

"You have to stay away from each other," Luna said, "not just physically stay away, but also electronically. Don't harass that person on Facebook or e-mail."

If either student were to violate the order, they would face disciplinary actions from the school, according to Luna.

The difference between Luna and Gagne is that Gagne is a confidential advocate and "anything you tell her (Gagne) is in confidence," said Luna.

According to Gagne, Norwich has taken the "extra step" and has asked her to come onto campus to provide these confidential services to its students, in a more comfortable setting.

"That is rare for a university to open their arms and say we're just going to trust this process, because we want what's best for these students," Gagne said.

Gagne praises the university's leadership in the actions taken, which focus on the safety of its students. "Norwich, because of its staff, from the president down, that's where their interest is, (safety)," Gagne said.

Gagne outlined the process.

"Let us say that they (victims) have experienced a sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault," Gagne said. "We would talk to them about their options and one of those options is to go up to the hospital."

Prior to going to the hospital, the victim is informed of the measures needed to take in order to not destroy evidence, according to Gagne.

"We would prepare them for the things they want to know ahead which are: Don't take a shower, don't brush and comb your hair, don't eat or chew anything, don't drink water," Gagne said. "All of those things, including putting your clothes into a paper bag."

According to Gagne, paper bags are used in collection of evidence because plastic bags create moisture

and moisture creates mold that "destroys evidence."

Victims are also instructed to bring a complete change of clothes when they go to the hospital, the clothes worn during an attack will be kept as evidence.

Along with medical advocacy, victims are provided with legal advocacy, according to Gagne.

"Our Law Project provides legal advocacy and an attorney that they can talk to free of charge," Gagne said.

Law Project advocate helps the victims if their case continues through the legal system, Gagne said.

According to Gagne, the legal process can take up to two years.

What also brings Gagne and SACT to campus is the university's "willingness to sit at the table" with an organization and educate its staff and students, according to Gagne.

Gagne and Luna are co-presenters for all the freshmen, corps and civilian students during orientation, according to Luna.

"We present everything they need to know about sexual violence education," Gagne said.

According to Gagne, Luna covers the policies for the students so that they understand them and emphasizes that the policies are implemented for their protection.

Luna said she administers and assures that the non-discrimination, sexual assault and sexual misconduct policies are adhered to by everyone affiliated to Norwich.

Luna also explains the differences between sexual assault, sexual misconduct and harassment.

According to Luna, sexual assault would mean rape, while sexual misconduct is characterized by inappropriate touch. Sexual harassment is discrimination based on gender.

Both Luna and Gagne also try to educate students about the high risk factors that occur when students go off campus, which, according to Gagne, "that's where most things happen, is off this campus."

Alcohol, according to Gagne, "is the greatest used date-rape drug' and often muddies a student's decision-making process.

Gagne also works with Gail Mears, Norwich's director of the office of substance abuse education.

Mears recalls a conversation she had with Gagne regarding the connection between substance abuse and sexual violence. In the majority of cases, alcohol was consumed by the perpetrator, the victim or both. This connection did not go unnoticed by Gagne and Mears.

"She (Gagne) and I try to do educational events on campus," Mears said. "Gagne is involved with safety initiatives that we do or provide before Regimental Ball and Winter Carnival."

According to Mears, a presentation is also made to students prior to the Junior Ring Ball, which means both Gagne and Mears are on campus during those busy weekends.

Mears would also like to involve the campus community as much as possible, including staff and faculty in providing information to students about alcohol and drug abuse and their connection with sexual violence.

Gagne has also worked with Norwich students who have taken the time to volunteer at the SACT center in Barre.

According to Gagne, Norwich students who have volunteered at the center have assisted in "mentoring victims of sexual violence," painting and answering phones, services for which she is grateful.

Elizabeth Maier, assistant professor of justice studies, and her Criminal Justice 310 class assisted Gagne and the SACT in designing a booklet incorporating the rights of sexual violence victims and sexual violence policies at different Vermont universities.

"I had three sections of roughly 25 students, so roughly 75 students," Maier said. "Each class had a section, if you will, and the second half of the class was then working and gathering the information, compiling it up."

According to Maier, the research performed by the students was intensive. Students researched laws concerning sexual violence in Vermont, as well as the policies from "other universities in the area."

"A lot of it, (students) had to talk to people," Maier said, "because a lot of it was not available on the internet for them to be able to find it."

What was supposed to be a three-page brochure turned into a 75-page booklet, which was presented to Vermont's Gov. Jim Douglas, in the spring of 2008.

At the beginning of Gagne's visits to Norwich, the number of students walking through the door of meeting room number 4 at the Wise Campus Center was small; however, the numbers have increased over time, according to Gagne.

"The first year I would get a student every now and then," Gagne said. "The second year I saw a mix, a few males who had questions and a few females who had questions."

According to Gagne, the third year she observed cadre and others actually escorting students to speak with Gagne. The escort would wait for the student and escort the student back, so they would feel safe and secure speaking to Gagne.

A number of students who speak to Gagne are male.

"More and more males are coming forward to talk about what happened to them when they were younger," Gagne said. "I think in this instance, I see more males because this campus is 75 percent male."

She said most male students come to discuss something that happened to them when they was younger or about "some one he cares about."

"It's a male who has had something happen to his girlfriend at some time, not necessarily here at Norwich," Gagne said. According to Gagne, male students often seek her advice on how they could be "more supportive" to their loved ones.

The majority of students who walk through her door are seeking advice and answers to their questions, and are not rape victims, Gagne said. She considers Norwich to be one of the "safest" campuses she's ever "walked on to."

According to Luna, Norwich is in compliance with the Clery Act, legislation passed by the U.S. Congress that requires all universities to report crimes committed on university property. The report includes "arson, burglaries and sexual offenses."

"I think that we are a great bunch at Norwich, but there are sometimes allegations that someone is accused of either sexual assault or sexual misconduct," Luna said.

According to The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool, a website designed by the Department of Education, which collects data of all crimes committed at universities around the country, Norwich has had seven cases of forcible sex offenses between 2007 and 2009: three cases in 2007, one case in 2008 and three cases in 2009. To view this data, go to http://ope.ed.gove/security/index.aspx.

Gagne credits Norwich's low numbers of reported sexual crimes on the school's emphasis on educating and providing safety to students, faculty and its staff.

"I'm not here because of major issues, but because Norwich wanted to prevent major issues," Gagne said.