KCRG, IA
09-13-07
Grant will Help Prevent Violent Crimes Against Women
By, Justin Foss
By Becky Ogann
CEDAR FALLS - This week, all the major universities in Iowa are celebrating a
new partnership.
A new grant is allowing them to work together to prevent violent crime to women
on campus.
Right now, public safety officials at the University of Northern Iowa say nationally,
women on campus have between a 1 in 4 and a 1 in 5 chance of being the victim
of a violent crime.
Other national studies say the chances aren't that high.
At college campuses across Iowa, violent crimes against women aren't a major
problem.
"In Cedar Falls, I feel really safe,” said student Devon Leslie.
But the fact that they are a problem at all has that problem getting a lot of
attention, $999,909 worth of Department of Justice attention to be exact.
"We want to be proactive in Iowa, to address the problem before it happens,”
said Annette Lynch. “I think a really big strength of this grant is its prevention
focus."
Lynch wrote the grant for the university.
A first of its kind grant awarded this week will make the University of Northern
Iowa the hub of a program to reduce gender crimes there and at the University of
Iowa and Iowa State University. Programs like making men aware of the line
between assault, and a first date.
"One of the problems I think we have is we as males don't see ourselves as
being involved because we would never think of doing that,” said Dave Zarafis,
Director or Public Safety at UNI.
But, if you ask students, that's a situation just about all of them have seen.
"I think there are some people that really do need to know that kind of stuff,” said
Leslie.
This grant should help everyone.
"So yes we're going to help victims, but we also want to change the college
culture so the problem is less apt to happen on our campuses,” said Lynch.
Lynch adds that while the grant only runs for three years, they are hoping the
money will launch a program that continues far past the length of the grant.
U.S. Representative Bruce Braley’s office says the schools should get the money
within the next few weeks.
Lynch says she expects to start planning exactly how the programs will work
either this week or next week.