April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As a University, we want to take this as an opportunity to educate our campus community on the issues of Sexual Assault, including promoting awareness and prevention.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office on Violence Against Women defines Sexual Assault as “any non-consensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks the capacity to consent.”

According to published Sexual Assault statistics by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center Statistics:

• One in five women and one in seventy-one men are raped at some point in their lives.
• In 80% of cases, the survivor knew their attacker.  
• In the U.S. 1/3 women and 1/6 men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime.
• 8% of rapes occur while at work.
• 81% of women and 35% of men report significant short – or long-term impacts such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Throughout April, please take the time to learn more about the University’s policies on consent, sexual assault, reporting options, and how to help. Below are the University’s policies on the subjects of consent and sexual assault

Policies on Consent

• Consent is informed, knowing and voluntary. 
• Incapacitation is a state where one cannot make a rational, reasonable decision. Incapacitation applies to substance use and mental capacity
• Coercion is the unreasonable pressure for sexual activity. It differs from seduction based on the type of pressure someone uses to get consent.

Policies on Sexual Assault

• Non-Consensual Sexual Contact is defined as any intentional sexual touching, however slight, with any object, by a person upon another person that is without consent and/or by force or threat of force.
• Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse is defined as any sexual intercourse, however slight, with any object, by a person upon another person that is without consent and/or by force or threat of force.

To ensure we have resources available to those in need, Franklin has partnered with the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) to provide resources to University personal. SARNCO provides advocacy and emotional support services in conjunction with medical and social services at OhioHealth Emergency Departments. SARNCO’s 24/7 hotline may be reached at 614-267-7020.

Additionally, confidential reports may be made to www.lighthouse-services.com/franklin.

If a situation is immediately life-threatening, always call 911.

University Title IX Coordinator: 
Chelsea Polly 
TitleIX@franklin.edu