Sexual assault reported on AUM campus

Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Students at Auburn University Montgomery were alerted via text Thursday regarding a sexual assault reported on campus. According to the notice, a female student reported that she was sexually assaulted on campus by a male acquaintance on Oct. 22.

The victim reported that the acquaintance is not a student at AUM. The AUM Police Department provides a service to walk you to or from your on-campus destination. All you have to do is call 244-3424.

Student Government Association President Ethan Gregory released the following statement on Thursday:

"I strongly condemn the email that was sent by Auburn University at Montgomery Strategic Communication and Marketing in response to a reported sexual assault on campus. In this email, the university failed to include the contact information for the Counselling Center as well as the link for reporting sexual assaults on campus.
Among the extremely crass content of this email was an egregious section noted as being "Dating Safety Tips." Included in these tips were "Know your limits," "Stay in control," and "Don't get in over your head." Not only was this section unnecessary, but it is insulting. Implying victims have any culpability in their rape does not stand up against rape culture, but rather perpetuates it.
I am calling for the university to retract these comments and publically apologize not only for the sake of the victim but for all people that have been affected by sexual assault."

On Friday, the university responded with the following statement:

We take allegations of sexual assault seriously. When we receive such reports, we take immediate steps to provide safety and support for the person reporting the assault and to provide notification and education to the campus community about these serious issues, including how to protect themselves. We value our ongoing collaboration and constructive dialog with our campus community and always use it as an opportunity to revisit our processes and to demonstrate our commitment to providing a healthy living and learning environment.

The Family Sunshine Center in Montgomery provides a course called Safe Dates. In part of the curriculum, there are strategies to avoid being a victim of dating sexual abuse and rape.

Tips include:

Double date or go out in groups of friends for the first few dates.
Don't leave parties or go to isolated areas with new dating partners.
Don't drink alcohol or get high while on dates.
Trust your feelings and instincts, and go to a safe place if you feel uncomfortable.
Decide on your own feelings and boundaries about being sexual and tell your dating partner clearly and firmly what those boundaries are.
Be careful if your dating partner holds strict gender stereotypes about men and women. Men who commit rape tend to hold beliefs that men should have more power and control than women.
When you go on a date, let your caregivers know where you're going and when you are coming home.
If someone tries to force you to do sexual things you don't want to do, say "stop!" If it continues, scream, fight back and run away.

School administration, faculty, individual teachers and guidance counselors can call the Family Sunshine Center at 206-2100 and ask for prevention to set up a one-time presentation or a series of presentations.

ON THE WEB: Campus Sexual Violence Statistics