Assaulted Women Thanks Supporters, Offers Apology to ‘Secondary Victims’

In light of the recent assault of a Plymouth State student, the staff at Women’s Services and Gender Resources would like to take this opportunity to touch upon the dynamics of victimization and the support offered to individuals affected by emotional, verbal, psychological, physical and sexual violence. We feel that it is important to recognize that even though we live in a safe community, violence is still present and continued dialogue is essential to our safety. It is the center’s belief that an assault of any kind is a very serious crime whether the victim knows her/his assailant(s) or not; however, those victimized by a perpetrator(s) known to them are less likely to report the incident. In fact, according to the Dating Violence Resource Center’s 2004 statistics, 84% of sexual assaults and 50% of dating violence incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation, self-blame, minimization of the crime, loyalty and love for the perpetrator and/or lack of understanding on whether or not it was a crime. Many times, victims of violent crimes behave or make decisions based on what they perceive is going to keep them safe. Unfortunately, these decisions and behaviors can be misinterpreted as indicating that the alleged assault was not serious or that the victim was primarily or partly responsible for the abusive behavior. When this begins to happen it is important to remind ourselves of the victimization that has occurred rather than dwelling on individual’s reactions to the victimization. Plymouth State University encourages all students to access support and advocacy during this difficult time. Below are services available to individuals who have been affected by violence. It is important that individuals are encouraged to utilize these resources while noting that there are distinct differences regarding confidentiality when accessing each service. Women’s Services and Gender Resources and/or Voices Against Violence: Provides individuals with free confidential crisis services and emotional support as well as medical, legal and judicial advocacy and accompaniment. 535-2387Counseling and Human Relations Center: Provides free confidential counseling to individuals who have been assaulted. Individuals may go to the Counseling Center to talk about their feelings and receive assistance in accessing other services that are available. 535-2461University Police Department, Plymouth Police Department and other Area Police Department(s): Individuals may file a report with the local law enforcement agency which provides them with the opportunity to file a criminal complaint against the perpetrator of assault. Individuals may also obtain information regarding legal options, safety, victim rights and access to other resources available. 535-2330Dean of Student Affairs and/or Vice President of Student Affairs: You may also file an incident report with the Dean of Student Affairs and/or the Vice President of Student Affairs in order for the case to be heard through the Plymouth State University judicial system. Filing a report does not obligate the individual(s) to pursue an official complaint through the PSU system. This allows the offending student to be held accountable for violating PSU Code of Conduct. 535-2240/535-2206 Sincerely,The Staff at Women’s Services and Gender Resources