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Wednesday, July 3. 1991 / University Daily Kansan
KU offers options to survivors of date rape
By Karen Cable
Special to the Kansan
Date rape on college campuses is a national issue, and much of the discussion focuses on colleges' handling of reported date rapes.
At the University of Kansas, a student who is a victim of a rape on campus may press criminal charges with KU police or decide to go before a student disciplinary hearing.
That is a choice of the survivor "sadly Kaiser, assistant dean of student
"I am always trying to encourage students to go the criminal route," he said. "Frankly, a lot of it is just because of evidence."
The University does not have any means to analyze physical evidence.
"I am limited almost completely to a process that can deal only with verbal testimony," he said. "This kind of case typically boils down to one person's word against another's."
If the case is handled through a disciplinary hearing, it is kept confidential because of the student-records policy.
"That does not mean that information would not be released saying that an incident occurred," Kaiser said. "But it cannot be identified to a
specific person.
"We, of course, would not release the name of the victim, but the confidentiality rules prevent us from causing the name of the perpetrator."
During a disciplinary hearing, both the accused and the victim make a presentation, and any witnesses present, upon receiving has the right to hear all evidence.
Both parties may be questioned by a hearing panel as well by one or more of their witnesses.
The hearing panel comprises a faculty member, two student-affairs staff members and a student if requested by the student charged. The student-affairs staff members serve as the chairperson of the hearing.
"It is part of the responsibility of the chair of the hearing panel to keep that under control." Kaiser said. "I have a very small number of people who chair hearing panels here, and they are very experienced."
Kaiser said the number of campus rave cases that had gone through the disciplinary hearing process was up to 20 percent, and the process started about 10 years ago.
Kaiser said it was important to report a campus rape to police.
"If we are dealing with a rapist,
the worst the University can do is kick him off campus and turn him loose on society somewhere else," Kaiser said.
If the victim chooses to go to both the police and the University, KU delays its hearing until the criminal proceedings are finished.
"The University is not going to anything to mess up a police investigation," Kaiser said. "We let the police and the stay and out of our way."
"They can do a much better job of collecting evidence and information
KU police officer Burdel Welsh said that in the past five years eight rapes had been reported on campus. The number of victims who continued with criminal proceedings was not available.
Welsh said that in 1988, three rapes were reported, and in 1989 one rape was reported. In 1990 no rapes were reported. In 1991, three have been reported so far.
"We classify a case by how it is reported and by the year it is reported in, alsh said." Two of the cases reported in 1991 actually occurred in 1990
"We in no way believe that is all there were. We recognize that for every one rape reported, seven to 10
Welsh said he thought the stigma associated with being a rape victim was one reason the crime was underreported.
have not been reported."
Another reason could be the victim's fear of being raked over the coals for every sexual thought she had since she was born, Welsh said.
"When a victim has her first contact with the department, we advise her about Rape Victim Support Service and try to get an advocate here," he said. "We realize that anything an officer does at that point can shape and impact the recovery of that victim."
Welsh said the department tried to establish a supportive environment
Douglas County Rape Victim Support Service encourages victims to go to the police.
Sarah Russell, director of the service, said that once a victim filed a report, the service encouraged the defense to continue with the criminal proceedings.
She said the service's advocates could serve as liaisons between the doctor and the patient.
"We can be present during the police interview and any other legal proceedings."
RAPE is defined as "sexual intercourse with a person who does not consent to the sexual intercourse."
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE is defined as "penetration of the female sex organ by a finger, male sex organ or any object. Any penetration, however slight, is sufficient to constitute sexual intercourse."
SODOMY means "oral or anal copulation; oral or anal copulation or sexual intercourse between a person and an animal, or any penetration of the anal opening by any body part or object."
SEXUAL BATTERY is the "unlawful, intentional touching of the person of another who is not the spouse of the offender and does not consent thereto, with intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the offender or another."
-Kansas Statutes Annotated, 1989 Revision
she said.
Katie Stader/KANSAN
Russell said advocates were available 24 hours a day.
"It is not an easy process." Russell
said. "The police have a job to do.
The questions they might have to ask are very difficult and can be very offensive."
Rape exceeds usual definition
She said the police interview was important for getting information.
By Karen Cable
Special to the Kansas
Special to the Kansar
Although society does not take date or acquaintance rape as seriously as stranger rape, the consequence of the victim can be just as devastating.
Sarah Russell, director of the Douglas County Rape Victim Support Service, said victims of date rape suffered a greater sense of mistrust and guilt than victims of stranger rape.
"In a stranger-rape situation you can allow yourself to detach psychologically," Russell said. "It is easier to see that you did not put yourself in that situation purposefully."
"In a dating situation when you are attracted to someone and find out they are capable of rape, it may not trust your own judgment.
KU police officer Burdel Welsh said misconceptions about rape were common.
"Many people think rape is a stranger jumping out from behind a bush at night in a poorly lit and remote area." Welsh said "The guy drags the woman behind the bush, and he has sexual intercourse with her. That is the standard conception of rape."
Walsh said that although a rape might not occur on the date, when a man fondles a woman against her he is committing sexual battery.
“If he went on down and fondled her in the area of the vagina, and then he slipped his hand in, then that is rape, right there at that point of penetration. He can be fully clothed and rape his partner.”
"The woman might begin make out, and it may progress further," Welsh said. "At any point she says, 'No, then it becomes illegal.'"
The rape-victim service presents programs to junior high school students.
Russell said, "Kids in junior high start this obligatory kind of attitude. If I meet you at the movies that means I can put my arm around you and touch your breast."
She said some junior high school girls allowed this to happen because they did not want to hurt the boys' feelings.
Russell said men and women should discuss expectations of each other when they begin to date.
"It is relearning interpersonal communication skills between women and men," she said.
Russell said students needed to look at their own behavior and listen to the attitudes of the people around them concerning date rape. They should challenge and con-
front their vulnerability who do not take rape seriously.
"It itse like such a vicious cycle when you think about how to stop victimizing and how to begin the education process," she said.
Course teaches self-defense
Rv Karen Cable
Special to the Kansan
Some victims of sexual assault may be able to speed their recovery process by learning an effective form of self-defense.
"When people can defend themselves, lots of things quit being problems," said Rick Gibbins, an instructor for the Model Mugging in Kansas City, Mo.
Model Mugging is a national corporation that teaches a self-defense technique in which women learn how to fight back.
Participants in the classes practice self-defense techniques on a heavily padded mock assailant. They learn to use their hands to different from other self-defense forms.
"From day one we practice fullpower hitting to vital parts of the body," Gibbins said. "In traditional karate they do not attack vital body parts."
Vital body parts include the eyes and groin, Gibbons said.
because inevitably that is where women end up in sexual assaults," Gibbins said.
He said few forms of self-defense emphasized fighting while not standing upright.
We emphasize ground fighting
Model Mugging was founded in San Francisco by Matt Thomas, a martial artist. He started the program after a woman who earned a black belt in a martial-art school was raped and beaten.
She apologized to the school for disgracing it. However, Thomas said he thought the school had disgraced her.
He studied the various attacks women faced and created the Model Women.
Although sexual-assault victims in the program often showed the greatest increase in confidence, Gibbins said that the attackers on women who had not been attacked.
"Our society has a built-in body shame," he said. "We have often neglected how to defend our own bodies."
About 9,000 women nationally, ranging in age from 11 to 73, have completed the course.
The basic Model Mugging course costs $395. Financial aid based on need is available. The company also offers other courses and seminars.
Gibbins said instructors would teach courses in Lawrence.
Sarah Russell, director of Dougas County Rape Victim Support Service, said self-defense classes might be helpful to some but not all women.
"The mistake we make is that we cannot come up with this generic answer to what is right and what is wrong." Russell said.
"For some women enrolling in that kind of a class would really work," she said. "For other women, especially if they have been the victims of sexual assault, it could make them look as though they did not fight hard enough."
More information about the Mid-America Model Mugging program in Kansas City, Mo., is available by calling (816) 931-8022.
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