Mac Adams

Mackenzie Writ 101

“The University of Montana can’t go it alone in working diligently every day to protect its students. Sexual assault, wherever it occurs in Missoula, is a community problem and it deserves our best community response.” Within recent months the University of Montana has seen an increase in sexual assault across the board. Why has there been this recent increase? Could it have to do with drinking, drugs, or just a lack of morals from the offenders? What can be done to reduce or eliminate this problem that is sweeping across our campus? It seems as though every week in the paper there is a new headline about recent attacks. Is our university doing enough to help stop these attacks? It has become such a problem that both the Missoula Police Department and the University of Montana have reopened investigations into past allegations. There have been complaints by recent rape victims that the cases were not investigated to the full length of law. The community outcry for better investigatory work is finally being answered by local law enforcement but it is it enough?

Recently the President of the University held a forum to discuss the situation and it was standing room only. Our community and our school are tired of having this dark cloud hanging over our beautiful campus and town. In some of the most recent incidents the accused man was able to flee the country before the University had even reported the crimes to the local police force.  This is just unacceptable that someone committing these crimes could have the opportunity to leave without justice being served because of an inability to speedily report such serious crimes to local police. Our University is doing the women of our college a major disrespect by the lack of quick efficient action against the offenders. Not only is it disrespectful it is dangerous for women across campus.

The University of Montana has a program in place to help victims of sexual assault it is named SARC( Student Assault and Resource Center). The SARC is a place to receive counseling and information for those affected by sexual assault. This is a great thing that the University has done but more emphasis must be put on prevention of sexual assault instead of just dealing with it once it happens. “Missoula Mayor John Engen held a press conference outside his office Wednesday morning to announce that the city, county and the University of Montana will work more closely in the future to end sexual assaults.” This is a very positive step in making our community a safer place where students can feel secure I hope that the leaders in our community are really serious about what they have said and it is not a PR move. The group Men Can Stop Rape will be starting a chapter here in Missoula.

 Could the party scene here be a direct influence of the amount of sexual assault cases? I think it must be. Our college is filled with party goers who clearly lose their best judgment. The party scene creates a plethora of issues with intoxication which plays a key role of women getting into the position of a possible attack. Our University must expand on its education of safe partying. The way that the University has handled these attacks in the past creates an open door for would be offenders. If we remain in the status quo the sick and twisted people who perform these tasks will not be afraid because the people before them were getting away with it. We must step up the consequences and the initial response to allegations to steer future offenders away from the idea and keep our community safe. I recommend mandatory university wide assemblies on sexual assault, where the school is taught exactly what sexual assault is what the boundaries are and how to detect the warning signs of someone whose mind is in the wrong place and what to do once noticed. Women should be instructed to carry some sort of protection so they can defend themselves when no one else can. Men stopping other men may be the most important part of stopping sexual assault. If a man can stand up to another man who looks as though he is proceeding without consent the attack is much more likely to be unsuccessful. Our University and our police force must put their foot down and stop these atrocious acts and keep the women in our community safe!

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/um-missoula-launches-campaign-to-report-sexual-assaults/article_aa1afdaf-be49-53f3-9b9a-713a1fe636dc.html