Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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28 — Rape

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Cheers A Tech fan enjoys the action in the stands as well as on the field. The Drinking Game — 27

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Editor ' s note: Names of the victims in the following stor[; have been changed to protect their p r i v ac i; . A n resemblance to other persons is coincidental. Female students at Tech became more conscious of their personal safety as the number of rapes in Lubbock increased. With 15 reported rapes per month, the city of Lub- bock has the third highest in- cidence of reported rapes in Texas. Shaun Callison, assistant director of the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center (LRCC), defines rape as an act of sexual inter- course, by any man besides the woman ' s husband, without the woman ' s consent. Several Tech students ad- mit that the growing number of rapes has made them more cautious. I don ' t like to walk at night unless I ' m with a group of girls or a guy, sophomore Suzette Cox said. I ' m a lot more careful than I used to be, agreed Sandra Schulz, another sophomore. Lubbock also ranks above the national average in rapes actually reported, which is about 10 to 20 percent. Ac- cording to Callison, 60 to 70 percent of the rapes in Lub- bock are reported. Many rape victims do not report attacks because they fear a lack of support from the judicial system. Yet, Callison says Lubbock has a very high conviction rate, with only five acquittals since 1976. Lubbock is a very suppor- tive community, Callison said. The police and D.A. arc very sympathetic with the victim, and do all they can to help her. Rape is known not only as a violent crime, but a severe- ly traumatic one as well. Such an assault can have long-term or even permanent results on the victim ' s life. Sharon Steele, office manager at the LRCC, Alone at night Tlic increased incidence of rape in Lubbock and on the Tech campus made female students at Tech more k cautious about being out at night alone. describes the emotions of a rape victim as fear, guilt, and anger rolled into one. Amy, a Tech senior who was raped when a man broke into her apartment, describes her initial reaction as a com- bination of fear and disbelief. I was scared and confus- ed, Amy said. I kept think- ing, ' It couldn ' t happen to me, ' and I didn ' t believe that it had happened. I thought there was something I should do, someone that I should call. Becky Cannon, director of the LRCC, reports embar- rassment is another common reaction of the rape victim. During the rape, the vic- tim was manipulated — someone had control over by a date when she was 17, says she did not want to date any men after the attack. I was afraid to go out, and I was afraid for a man to touch me, she added. Steele contends that such feelings are the result of the sense of having lost control. We hope that ' s where our counselors come in — to help the victim regain control of her life, she said. Airing these feelings, then learning to accept them, are the first steps in learning to deal with a rape. After the shock wore off, I felt angry, Vickie said. That ' s what really saved me — when I grew angry enough to decide that I wouldn ' t let him ruin the rest of my life. Speaking out on the silent crime her, she said. This leads her to feel embarrassed and humiliated. The fear, shock and humiliation often gives way to a longer-term reaction — guilt. Many rape victims say they feel a sense of guilt following the assault. This feeling can make reporting the rape to family and friends extremely difficult. I felt guilty about telling Mom and Dad that their little baby wasn ' t a baby any more, Amy said. I went through the emo- tions of every day, but a lot of the time, there weren ' t any feelings, she added. According to Cannon, these feelings can escalate if the victim does not face them. If these feelings are allow- ed to escalate, they can result in the development of a fear of men. Amy says that for a while after her rape, she dated only effeminate men. Other victims, however, at- tempt to avoid men completely. Vickie, who was assaulted by Cindy Gardner ' After the shock wore off, I felt angry . . . angry enough to decide that I wouldn ' t let him ruin the rest of my life. ' Rape — 29