VCUPD collects items for victims of domestic violence
The VCU Police Department held its first ever shelter drive in relation to sexual assault awareness month. Officers collected food, new household items, personal items and art supplies for the Safe Harbor shelter on April 12 in front of Walmart on campus.
Safe Harbor is a shelter and resource center in Henrico that assists survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.
The VCU Police Department reached out to the VCU community through TelegRam and social media, asking them to donate.
“We do something for sexual assault awareness month every year,” said Corporal Tricia Mozingo, Victim Witness Coordinator at VCUPD. “We do different activities each year. There are certain activities like Take Back the Night and Fear 2 Freedom that we do all the time but we try to come up with new things each year and this is one of the new things we did.”
Mozingo was the main coordinator of the drive. She said paper towels and spaghetti were two of the most popular good dropped off.
“It’s been successful,” Mozingo said. “We’ve had people ask if we’re going to do it again. Folks from the medical campus have asked if we’re going to come them so it might be something we look at doing again in the future.”
The Campus Sexual Assault Study said one in five women will be sexually assaulted during their college experience and an estimated 95 percent of sexual assaults on campus go unreported.
According VCU clergy data, in 2014 eight cases of sexual offense, four cases of dating violence and 22 cases of stalking were reported on the Monroe Park campus.
On the MCV campus, VCU clergy data reported three cases of sexual offense, three cases of dating violence and three cases of stalking during 2014.
Fatima Smith is the assistant director for Sexual & Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking & Advocacy Services at the VCU Wellness Resource Center. She said survivors often want to reach out but are sometimes overcome with feelings of judgement, shame and blame.
“(The well) provides free optional confidential services,” Smith said. “We want to do what feels right for that particular survivor.”
In addition to the Well, survivors of sexual assault can reach out to title IX, student affairs, VCUPD, student health and VCU health.
When a case of sexual assault is brought to the Well, the staff starts by listening, believing, affirming and referring.
“We listen to their story and make sure they know we believe them and affirm that what they experience is not their fault and then we figure out what the student wants,” Smith said. “Everyone’s healing process is different and there’s no right or wrong way to help.”
The White House’s “It’s On Us” campaign encourages men and women across America to do their parts in putting a stop to campus assaults.
“We must and we can change the culture so that no woman or man has to ask, ‘What did I do,’” said Vice President Joe Biden when he introduced Lady Gaga, a rape survivor, at this year’s Oscars. “I’m asking you to take the pledge. A pledge that says, ‘I will intervene in situations where consent cannot or has not been given.’”
The It’s On Us pledge calls for bystanders to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault. To identify situations in which sexual assault may occur. To intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given. To create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.
Staff Writer, Sophia Belletti
Sophia is a sophomore print/online journalism major with a minor in gender, sexuality and women’s studies. She enjoys writing about current events and sports and hopes to one day be a sports reporter, covering soccer, basketball and baseball. You can usually find Sophia drinking way too much coffee and laughing at her own jokes. // Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
bellettisr@commonwealthtimes.org
