USC reports lower abuse than nation

Students are taking action to curb the amount of abuse and sexual violence that occurs on the USC campus.

Though the importance of maintaining healthy relationships is promoted every year at USC nationally college statistics point to an increasing trend in sexual violence.

Forty-three percent of college women experience violence and abusive dating behavior, according to the 2011 College Dating Violence and Abuse Poll.

Violence and abusive dating includes sexual assault behavior, a sexual act committed without consent.

USC has an average of 15 sexual assaults per semester, according to the USC Center for Men & Women, which handles student-against-student gender-based discrimination.

Danielle Lancon, director of the USC Center for Women & Men, said USC’s annual dating and assault rate remains relatively stable.

“We normally maintain the same amount of dating violence or assaults here every year,” Lancon said. “Hook-ups are obviously not reported but as always they are a large part of any university.”

The poll also revealed that, of women who engage in a hook-up during their time at college, 14 percent will need a friend to remind them what happened, 49 percent will never see the partner again and 16 percent will say they felt pressured into the sexual encounter.

USC Men CARE, an organization devoted to stopping sexual violence on campus, provides a place for men to come together through workshops, service programs and sharing personal experiences. Men CARE also works with the Greek system to educate its members.

“We speak to a lot of the fraternities and have different workshops where we’ll discuss certain situations, such as dating violence and consent,” said Todd Henneman, program director of Men CARE.

Fifty-eight percent of college students said they did not know how to help a victim of dating abuse, according to the poll.

Henneman said an important aspect of handling a situation where dating violence or an unintentional hook-up is anticipated is the way you approach the male or female involved in the situation.

“To speak up on something more subtle that separates the two if they be at a party or gathering is important,” Henneman said. “You can go up and tell the guy you need him to help you with something. This can help settle the situation without being controversial.”

Men CARE advises USC students on various ways to ask for consent. They also share reactions felt by survivors of sexual violence and discuss how to be supportive when a friend is the victim of sexual violence.

“If you are stuck in a situation of dating violence, it’s one thing to go through it yourself, but we have a support system here for students and hopefully they will be able to take advantage of it,” Henneman said.