C o u n s e l i n g , C a r e e r, & D i s a b i l i t y S e r v i c e s N e w s l e t t e r Fall 2014 Raider Wise Counsel BE SAFE at ROANE STATE In this Issue Be Safe at RSCC 1 What is Sexual Violence? 1 -3 Sexual Assault 4 -5 How to Report 5 Sexual Violence and Harassment at RSCC Other Campus and Community Support Services 6 Contact Information 7 Did You Know? Registration for Spring & Summer classes began Nov. 10, 2014. See your faculty advisor & register now for best selection of classes. This edition of the newsletter is devoted to the subject of domestic violence and sexual assault. Colleges and universities across the nation have recently been challenged to address more aggressively policies and procedures that provide better support to victims of sexual violence on their campuses. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was the first comprehensive federal law to prohibit sex discrimination against students and employees of educational institutions. Other federal policies mandating this action include the Violence Against Women Act, The Clery Act and the Campus SaVe Act. See www.roanestate.edu/besafe for more information. Roane State Community College (RSCC) is committed to ensuring equality in education and eliminating the campus of any and all acts of sexual discrimination, which includes sexual misconduct as prohibited by Title IX and state laws. The college does not tolerate sexual violence or sexual harassment in any form. The RSCC Sexual Misconduct Policy, PA-02-02, may be found at www.roanestate.edu/besafe. The RSCC Be Safe website is the central location for information providing awareness, prevention strategies and training for faculty, staff and students to help you keep our campuses safe from sexual violence and other matters of campus safety. WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE? Sexual violence is defined as physical sexual acts engaged without the consent of the other person or when the other person is unable to consent to the activity. The following definitions/terms are provided to explain what is meant by sexual violence: Page 2 WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE (cont.) Stalking. Stalking is a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested, and that actually causes the accuser to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested. TCA 39-17-315 Harassment. Harassment is conduct directed toward the accuser that includes, but is not limited to, repeated or continuing unconsented contact that would cause a reasonable person to suffer emotional distress, and that actually causes the accuser to suffer emotional distress. Harassment does not include constitutionally protected activity or conduct that serves a legitimate purpose. TCA 39-17-315. Need Help Deciding on a Major/Career? Click here to sign up for a career workshop. Workshops are available in Oak Ridge on Dec. 1 and in Roane County on Dec. 2. Sexual Assault. The nonconsensual sexual contact with the accuser by the accused, or the accused by the accuser when force or coercion is used to accomplish the act, the sexual contact is accomplished without consent of the accuser, and the accused knows or has reason to know at the time of the contact that the accuser did not or could not consent. Sexual contact includes, but is not limited to, the intentional touching the accuser’s, the accused’s or any other person’s intimate parts, or the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the accuser’s, the accused’s, or any other person’s intimate parts, if that intentional touching can be reasonably construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification. Domestic Violence. Violence against a person when the accuser and accused: 1. are current or former spouses; 2. live together or have lived together; 3. are related by blood or adoption; 4. are related or were formally related by marriage; or 5. are adult or minor children of a person in a relationship described above. Page 3 WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE (cont.) Domestic violence includes, but is not necessarily limited to: 1. inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on the accuser by other than accidental means; 2. placing the accuser in fear of physical harm; 3. physical restraint; 4. malicious damage to the personal property of the accuser, including inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the accuser; or, 5. placing the accuser in fear of physical harm to any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the accuser. TCA 363-601 Students receiving accommodations should schedule an appointment before classes begin with his/her counselor to do accommodations. Remember, accommodations do not roll to the next semester and accommodations are not retroactive. Dating Violence. Violence against a person when the accuser and accused are dating, or who have dated, or who have or had a sexual relationship. “Dating” and “dated” do not include fraternization between two (2) individuals solely in a business or non-romantic social context. Violence includes, but is not necessarily limited to: 1. inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on the accuser by other than accidental means; 2. placing the accuser in fear of physical harm; 3. physical restraint; 4. malicious damage to the personal property of the accuser, including inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the accuser; or, 5. placing a victim in fear of physical harm to any animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the accuser. TCA 36-3-601 (5) (c) Consent. An informed decision, freely given, made through mutually understandable words or actions that indicate a willingness to participate in mutually agreed upon sexual activity. Consent cannot be given by an individual who is asleep; unconscious; or mentally incapacitated, either through the effect Page 4 SEXUAL ASSAULT of drugs or alcohol or for any other reason; or, is under duress, threat, coercion, or force. Past consent does not imply future consent. Silence or an absence of resistance does not imply consent. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. www.roanestate.edu /besafe YOUR WEBSITE FOR PREVENTING AND REPORTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE GET THE FACTS 80% of victims are under the age of 30 4 out of 10 victims are sexually assaulted in their home 3 out of 4 rapes are committed by someone the victim knows 1 in 12 assaults take place in a parking garage Over half of reported rapes have occurred within 1 mile of where the victims live 1 out of 33 men will be the victim of sexual assault in their lifetime 1 out of every 6 women has been the victim of an attempted rape or a completed rape in her lifetime 84% of attackers use physical force during the assault, with 11% using a weapon 1 out of 3 assaults occur while the perpetrator is under the influence of an illegal substance WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT SEXUAL ASSAULT? Utilize the “Buddy System” - there is power in numbers NEVER accept a drink from a stranger or leave a drink unattended Always have your cell phone on you and keep it charged in case of emergency Always communicate where you are going to a friend, especially at parties and in bars Trust your instincts about people and places If you witness someone being assaulted, step in or say something if it is safe Page 5 SEXUAL ASSAULT (cont.) UTILIZE THE “BUDDY SYSTEM” REMEMBER, THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS WHAT DO YOU DO IF A FRIEND TELLS YOU THEY HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED? Always give your friend the benefit of the doubt Encourage your friend to go to a nearby hospital or locate the local sexual assault center for emergency services and forensic evidence collection If it was a recent assault, tell your friend not to shower, change clothes, or brush their teeth or hair Call the police if they are necessary Don’t judge and don’t pressure him/her to do things again until they are ready Empower your friend by understanding it takes time to process the trauma Be supportive! THE AFTERMATH OF RAPE 3 times more likely to suffer from depression 6 times more likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol 26 times more likely to abuse drugs 4 times more likely to commit suicide HOW TO REPORT SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT AT RSCC Roane State students and employees are encouraged to report incidents of sexual assault or harassment to Mr. Odell Fearn, the College’s Title IX Coordinator and Director of Human Resources. Mr. Fearn is the point of contact for any student/employee who wishes to discuss a concern. Reporting is confidential. Mr. Fearn’s office is located on the Harriman campus, Dunbar Building, Room 200. Ph: (865) 882-4679 Email: fearnao@roanestate.edu Page 6 SUPPORT SERVICES OTHER CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee (A service of the Helen Ross McNabb Center) 24-Hour crisis line: (865) 522-7273 Office: (865) 558-9040 during normal working hours www.mcnabbcenter.org/sacet Roane State Counseling Services Roane County Campus: (865) 882-4546 Oak Ridge Campus: (865) 481-2003 Dean of Students (865) 882-4550 Roane State Police (865) 882-4500 If you are in immediate danger, call 911 IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, Information for this article on Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence was provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee (a service of Helen Ross McNabb Center). CALL 911 Roane State Community College is a TBR and AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of Human Resources/Affirmative Action, 276 Patton Lane, Harriman, TN 37748, (865) 882-4679, humanresources@roanestate.edu. RSCC Publication #15-043. Page 7 RAIDER WISE COUNSEL Roane State Community College Counseling, Career, and Disability Services Contact Information Roane County Tracey Watson, Director watsontl@roanestate.edu 865-882-4546 Counseling, Career, & Disability Services Staff: Carol Jarabek, Support Staff jarabeklc@roanestate.edu 865-882-4546 Tracey Watson Director Oak Ridge Jeff Snell, Counselor snellja@roanestate.edu 865-481-2003 Jeff Snell Counselor Julianne Davis-Cole Counselor Tina Messamore Support Staff Julianne Davis-Cole, Counselor davisjy@roanestate.edu 865-481-2003 Tina Messamore, Support Staff messamore@roanestate.edu 865-481-2003 www.roanestate.edu/counseling www.roanestate.edu/disabilityservices www.roanestate.edu/careerservices Carol Jarabek Support Staff From bottom left: Carol Jarabek, Tracey Watson, Julianne Davis-Cole From top left: Tina Messamore & Jeff Snell