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Friday, February 3, 2012
Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper
Est. 1934
Volume 94, Number 14
Study shows one in five women victims of rape By Will Deshong Rocket Staff Reporter
PHOTO GRAPHIC BY LEXI KOVSKI/THE ROCKET
There was a presentation of the findings of a study done by the Center for Disease Control on sexual violence on Thursday. During these finding statistics like one in five women have been victims of rape, and one of three women were victims of sexual violence were discussed.
A comprehensive government survey on rape, stalking, and domestic violence reported that nearly one in five women surveyed in the study had been raped or experienced an attempted rape at some point in their lives, while one in three women have experienced either rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The study, titled The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) and released in December 2011, was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and aimed to assess experiences of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence amongst adults. Jodi Solito, the Director of the Women’s Center at Slippery Rock University, was happy the statistics on the matter were brought to public attention on such a large scale. “It’s encouraging to see a huge agency like the CDC do a study like this and for the information to get out in a public form,” Solito said. As NISVS was the first study of its kind at both the national and state level, it revealed telling statistics that were even worse than the general belief on the occurrence of violent sexual crimes, particularly when dealing with intimate relationships. “Sexual violence is overwhelmingly committed by someone known to the victim,” Solito said. “Unfortunately, the stereotype perpetuated is a stranger, usually wielding a weapon, jumping out of the darkness.” According to the study, one in ten women surveyed said they have been raped by an intimate partner, making it the most common relationship between victim and perpetrator in cases of rape dealing with a female victim. Among all female victims of rape, 51 percent reported being raped by an intimate partner, while 41 percent were
victim to an acquaintance. Violent sexual crimes go beyond rape, however, with instances of physical abuse and stalking plaguing the country as well. About one in four women have been victim of severe physical abuse by an intimate partner, while nearly half of all women have experienced psychological aggression from a partner. One in six women in the study claimed to have experienced stalking in which they felt fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed, with two-thirds of those victims saying they were stalked by a current or former intimate partner. “It is important to differentiate between harassment and stalking,” Solio said. “Stalking behavior takes harassment to the level of fear. The person being stalked becomes fearful as a result of another’s attention.” Unwanted phone calls or text messages was the most common tactic used by stalkers. According to the study, all forms of sexual violence and stalking typically begin at a young age – usually younger than 25 – and cause both mental and physical health problems in victims. Roughly 80 percent of female rape victims surveyed experienced their first assault before the age of 25, while most female victims of physical violence experienced some form of intimate partner violence before that age. While the study shows a huge problem in sexual violence amongst youths, those statistics aren’t represented in crime data at universities, according to Solito. “If you look in the police reports on campus, you won’t find that behavior,” Solito said. “Not because it didn’t happen but because students don’t report it.” And the reason the crimes go unreported is complex, according to Solito. SEE SEXUAL, PAGE A-3
Board of Governors names Curry as interim president
PHOTO CURTOUSY OF THE SRU WEBSITE
Dr. Charles Curry, the former vice president of administration and finance, was named interim president.
By Steph Holsinger Assistant News Editor
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors announced on Friday, January 27, that Dr. Charles Curry, vice president for administration and finance at Slippery Rock
University, will serve as acting president for the university until a new president is elected. Curry joined the university in 1986 as the assistant vice president of finance, and served in that position for 18 months until being promoted to his current position. As vice president of finance, Curry oversees the university’s $156 million budget, as well as the departments of Accounting, Facilities and Planning, Purchasing, Contracts, and Human Resources. Originally from Syracuse, NY, Curry says that his work ethic, tenacity, and faith in God were instilled in him early on by his hardworking parents. “I was very fortunate growing up to have had strong parents and mentors who knew the importance of education and made sure I stayed the course,” he said. Although Curry lettered in basketball in high school, his coach told him to “study son, study,” upon evaluating his size and speed as an athlete. Curry did just that. Following high school, Curry attended a community college, majored in business, and later transferred to LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY, to complete his degree. He graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. After earning his B.S. degree, Curry went on to work for the public accounting firm of
Peat, Marwick, and Mitchell for two years. He then accepted the position of Senior Internal Auditor at Syracuse University, where he earned his master’s degree in Business Administration and was promoted to Assistant Director of Student Data Systems. In 1979, Curry left Syracuse University and became the Director of Business Services at Onondaga Community College, where he also served as a senior adjunct faculty member teaching managerial and financial accounting. In 1981, Curry accepted a position at Cornell University in New York, where he served for five years as the assistant director of accounting before coming to Slippery Rock University. He earned his Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1998. Curry is a former trustee of LeMoyne College and a member of the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers. He is an avid sports fan, especially baseball, and loves all things jazz. Curry and his wife Jean live in Slippery Rock, and have two grown children. Curry said he was flattered by his appointment as interim president. “I was honored to have been chosen to serve the institution as acting president,” he
said. “I believe that we have an outstanding university, which is one of the top regional universities.” “We have won several awards for our efforts, which I believe makes us stand out from other institutions,” Curry said. “I truly am honored to be a part of this university.” According to Curry, he still has his responsibilities for directing the operations of finance and administration, as does Dr. William Williams for Academic Affairs, Dr. Constance Foley for Student Life, Ms. Barbara Ender for Advancement, and Ms. Rita Abent for public affairs and communications. “We’ll all contribute as needed to cover presidential public engagement commitments during the transition to a new president,” Curry said. “My main role as acting president will be one of handling the administrative actions required of the president, such as signing contracts and serving as the liaison to the chancellor.” Curry feels that he has a lot to bring to the university, and hopes to fill the position well. “I feel that I’m a very caring person that understands the importance of education, and I feel that it’s a good opportunity for students to come to this university to learn, develop, and grow,” he said.