USU Rape Prevention Expert: Same Face, Different Name

Since arriving on campus in June 2004, USU’s Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Coordinator has been in perpetual motion. Meeting with students, organizing educational events, raising awareness, establishing programs, Rachel Hickman has made a name for herself. But her name changed with her recent wedding – she’s now Rachel Brighton to you.

 

No matter. As Utah’s only full-time campus sexual assault prevention specialist, Brighton is forging ahead with educational opportunities on campus and building networks with part-time colleagues throughout the state and beyond.

 

She’s enthusiastic about the governor’s office’s recent acceptance of a proposal she and her statewide counterparts drafted to create the Utah Sexual Violence Council. Established as an intercollegiate consortium, the council is now a full-fledged state subcommittee. “Governor Huntsman has taken a great deal of interest in the topic of sexual violence in Utah and the new council was placed directly under his office’s supervision,” said Brighton. “The council will provide a wonderful forum to connect campuses throughout the state and create supportive networks.”   

 

Brighton said she’s pleased the topic is receiving direct attention. “We like to think of Utah as a safe and family-oriented place, but we need to be aware of what’s happening in our own communities,” she said.

 

She cites a study released last fall by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which found that one in eight Utah women will be raped and one in three will experience some other form of sexual assault during their lifetimes. Brighton notes that college women are particularly vulnerable, as many are adjusting to life away from their parents’ homes for the first time.

 

On the campus front, Brighton is busy with the university’s One-in-Four chapter. Formed last year, One-in-Four is part of an innovative national movement aimed at male peer-to-peer education to prevent sexual violence. Utah State’s chapter, the 17th in the nation and the first in the state, consists of 13 members selected from more than 30 Aggie men who present “The Men’s Program” to campus and community groups.

 

USU’s version of “The Men’s Program,” which features a multi-media presentation and discussion, focused on ways men can help rape survivors and prevent sexual assault, debuted last fall. The presenters have a busy schedule slated for 2006.

 

On April 12, the SAAVI office will again sponsor the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” fundraiser in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Day. “This was a real crowd-pleaser,” said Brighton of the wacky spectacle featuring men on campus walking in high heels to raise money for One-in-Four.

 

“We had a lot of laughs – and a few blisters – and we raised money for a serious cause,” she said.

 

This year’s gathering, which carries the theme, “Creating a Harassment-Free Campus,” will highlight the release of a new study on sexual harassment among undergraduate students, Brighton said.

 

She added that Carol Strong, dean of Education and Human Services, and liaison to the state’s American Association for University Women, and Dave Ottley of USU’s Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, are joining forces with the SAAVI office to present this year’s activity.

 

The SAAVI office also hosts Red Zone Week each fall to heighten awareness of rape prevention and “Paint the Town Purple” activities during October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

 

“Sexual assault isn’t a comfortable topic for most people, but we’re presenting it in a variety of educational and non-threatening ways,” said Brighton. “It’s not a problem that affects just women – it affects everyone.”

 

For more information about SAAVI, contact Brighton at 435-797-1510 or rachel.brighton@usu.edu.