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ORLEANS, L.A.- Like most college woman, Jackie Joseph, a student at Loyola University, enjoyed going out with her friends and having a good time. Like most nights, Joseph planned to go out with friends and have a good time. Late one night a young man she knew from school escorted Joseph to her dorm. The young man she trusted to take her home after a night of hanging out and drinking sexually assaulted Joseph. This is crime is one of many that happen to young college woman everyday. According to Sarah Lawrence College, at least 1 in 4 college women will be victim of sexual assault during their academic career. One of the problems we have is where the females have gone out and they have fun at the bars and things of that nature and they are afraid to report it because most of them are underage and they have been drinking, said Lieutenant Angela Honora, who is head of the crime prevention department at the Loyola. Many young woman who are underage drinking and have been assaulted, do not report the incident. Last year we only had two reported assaults on campus and that is way less than what we know for a fact that happens on this campus which is interesting, said Jackie Joseph, an intern at Womans Resource Center. According to A.M. Gross, author of An Examination of Sexual Violence Against College Women, a recent study shows that 84 percent of university woman who reported sexual assault experienced the incident during their first four semesters on campus. Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault states that freshman and sophomore women are at a greater risk of being victims of sexual assault than upperclassmen.

There is a new found freedom that beginning students experience when coming to college, said Joseph. I think that a lot of sexual assaults are due to the hookup culture, said Julia Hussey, a junior psychology major. A recent sexual assault incident occurred last month on Loyolas campus dealing with alcohol consumption. A young woman was out at a local bar when she met a young man. As the night progressed, the young man and women proceeded to dance and have drinks. The young man escorted the young woman back to her dorm located on Loyolas campus. Upon reaching the Freret St. parking garage, the young man proceeded to assault the young woman in the stairwell. The young woman reached out to the LUPD to report the incident and the case was turned over to the New Orleans Police department for further investigation. This is the first sexual assault crime logged for the 2013 LUPD crime report. From 2010 to now, there have been 26 crimes involving some form of sexual assault on Loyolas campus. The number reflects the number of people who are reporting it and it also reflects the number of people who are not, said Joseph. Amy Morgan, a counseling intern at First Baptist Church of Norco, stated that out of every 100 sexual assault crimes, only 46 get reported to authorities. Young women are afraid to speak out either because they feel like they will get in trouble or they will be categorized as a victim, said Morgan. Alcohol is a contributing factor to many sexual assault crimes, stated Joseph.

According to LAFASA, 1 in 3 assaults, the perpetrator was intoxicated. It is typical to hear of a woman who has been assaulted due to alcohol consumption, but many do not realize that the perpetrator is usually under some influence, stated Morgan. Dr. Karen Reichard, director of Womens Resource Center, stated that the department of education addressed Title 9 issues. Title 9 states address the issue of safety around campus and in the working environment. Our goal is to ensure the safety of our students and promote awareness of this on going issue that is affecting many woman, stated Reichard. The university policy states that if a woman is sexually assaulted on campus, woman can seek counseling, which is completely confidential. If you get assaulted and the police are directly involved then you have another system in place where you talk to the police department and then you go through counseling, stated Joseph. There are alternatives that are offered to young women who choose to not go through authorities. Loyola University offers a variety of programs and services for individuals who have dealt with sexual assault. The Advocacy Initiative trains volunteers to be first responders for those who have been assaulted, but do not want to reach out to authorities.

Take Back the Night is another service held annually by Loyola, which gathers campus and community members to bring awareness to this act of crime. Lt. Honora is also an instructor for RADS, a rape aggression defense system that offers self- defense techniques to women. The university counseling center is another resource for women to reach out to. Any student can call to schedule an appointment or they can contact the hotline number, which is available 24/7. Aside from services and programs offered at Loyola, New Orleans ensures programs to help with sexual assault victims. LAFASA is located throughout Louisiana. The closest center for Loyola students to reach is the center located off of St. Charles. Students can gain outside assistance by talking to a counselor or joining a support group. There are many resources located on and off campus to help victims. I love the programs offered, but it doesnt help the fact that we have to be teaching people do not rape; not dont get raped, said Joseph.