Piece of mind | exploreandunderstand

Virginia Tech Police providing a piece of mind for students

By Joudi Assaf

Sexual assault can happen to anyone anywhere and it’s truly a scary thought. However, on campus sexual assault can be prevented by using the resources provided by the Virginia Tech Police to an individual’s advantage.

Blacksburg, Va., Dec. 8 - Your right: The Virginia Tech Police department provides students with information on what to do and who wto contact when dealing with the aftermath of a crime.

Blacksburg, Va., Dec. 8 - Sexual assault is an unforgivable act of crime that is committed among individuals; however that doesn’t stop the Virginia Tech Police from trying to prevent it.

According to a survey by the Association of American Universities, among female college students, 23% said they experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact -- ranging from kissing to touching to rape, carried out by force or threat of force, or while they were incapacitated because of alcohol and drugs.

The campus police department understands how worried students can get from such a topic, but they still want them to be educated enough to help themselves. “Our thought, is even one a year is one too many,” said Chief Kevin Foust.

The department wants to make students as well as faculty feel as safe as possible from this heinous crime from happening to them or anyone they know by providing them with adequate resources.

One resource provided is emergency boxes, which are located everywhere on campus. Students can press the emergency button if they feel uncomfortable walking around campus and an officer will arrive to their location to help escort them.

Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training is also another resource. Classes are provided throughout the semester, and students, faculty and even faculties daughters can sign up.

“They give you different strategies if you are being approached by someone you don’t feel comfortable with or if they have already started to threaten you,” said Emily Carrigan a senior at Virginia Tech.

Another approach that Virginia Tech Police try is to have a one on one meeting with residents, as well as a one on one meeting with the athletic teams. This helps provide an open communication between the students and the campus police department.

These are only a few of the prevention measures that the Virginia Tech Police provide on campus, and you can feel free to check out their site to learn more.

You can even download the LiveSafe app, which helps mobilize individuals to contribute to safety and security, according to LiveSafe.com.