When the public learned that a young woman at the University of Virginia might have made up a story about sexual assault at a fraternity house, experts worried that future victims might be reluctant to report rape for fear they would not be believed. In fact, for Albemarle and surrounding counties, there’s been a 30% increase in women coming forward after a sexual assault.
When Sheri Owen learned there were 67 reports of rape over the last year in the Charlottesville area - up from 51 for the previous twelve months - she and her colleagues at the Sexual Assault Resource Agency might have been dismayed. In fact, Owen says, she was excited.
“I think it’s wonderful, because every phone call we get is another person we’re able to help.”
And she agrees with local police - that rising numbers do not mean rape is more prevalent.
“I strongly believe that the reason we’ve had more calls is because the awareness is up.”
Media coverage of the issue might be one factor, but her agency has also been very active in educating kids.
“We’re actually in the middle and the high schools right now; 8 middle and high schools working with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders talking about primary prevention, and how to be a bystander, and what’s healthy and what’s consent. We didn’t get that years and years ago, so I really think that’s the difference.”
Ideally, the goal is to prevent assaults, but when attacks occur, Owen says her agency also wants to help investigate and prosecute by training police.
“We get to train all first response law enforcement officers in a roll call setting, give them this interview card that they’re able to carry with them, and talk to them not about how to be sensitive, because cops are already sensitive, but just how to approach a rape or sexual assault victim and what to ask.”
“That’s really what to me is the most important end result of the process we’re going through.”
That’s Dave Chapman, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Charlottesville. He’s part of the Sexual Assault Response Team - a group Owen says includes several organizations:
“You have the victim witness coordinators. The sexual assault nurse examiners or forensic nurse examiners or FNEs. You have the crisis agency -- the sexual assault resource agency. You have the police officers from that jurisdiction and you have the Commonwealth Attorney’s office.”
And effective July 1st, sexual assault response teams in college towns like Charlottesville had to begin working with their universities adding more people to the mix.
“They want you to add the Title IX coordinator, and they wanted to add human resources and student affairs and a lot of other people to this team.”
Getting everyone to work well together was a challenge, but she says the group is now poised to sign a landmark memorandum committing to collaboration. That might seem like a no-brainer, but Chapman says few communities are as far along as Albemarle and surrounding counties.
“The feedback we have now is we’re kind of out front, and we’re getting to it ahead of other places.”
Sherry Owen agrees and is already planning to share how this region responds to sexual assault with other agencies nationwide.
