On Monday, April 27, 2015, red, black, and white flags appeared in the grass of Jefferson Plaza near the blue house closest to Brainard Street.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to generate awareness about 375 flags covered a portion of Jefferson Plaza and were a representation of how sexual assault statistics impact the NCC campus.
Sexual assault cases among college-aged students are occurring and NCC brought awareness to the campus population through this visual. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, specifically a study from December 2014, females ranging in age from 18 through 24 have a higher rate of sexual assault than any other age category.
With the flag visual NCC was able to paint a picture about the statistics of cases of men and women being sexually assaulted on college campuses.
There were three different flag colors used to represent the statistics: white was the NCC student population, red was female assault cases, and black was male assault cases.
According to the large yard signs placed on all corners of the campus, “1 in 5 females and 1 in 16 males will be sexually assaulted while in college.” This was the data collected from the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Campus Sexual Assault Study” from 2007 and what the flags were representing.
There were also several smaller signs with the more information regarding sexual assault including the statistic that about 68% of sexual assault cases go unreported. So out of the 375 flags there should have been about 115 more red or black flags.
This fact would have add more color to the lawn and truly show how sexual assault cases are a serious issue on college campuses.
Actual NCC statistics were not represented in the display in the plaza.
This presentation on campus was used to help gain awareness about sexual assault and to offer the student population more information about sexual assault on college campuses.
A website address was also placed on the signs to direct students, staff and faculty to learn more about sexual assault cases and information: www.northcentralcollege.edu/violenceprevention.
North Central College, under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, is required to educate students, staff and faculty about the prevention of sexual assault cases and other similar topics.
The website offers the viewer the opportunity to preview the program in an online program called http://not-anymore.com/preview/university-college learn the policies of NCC, reporting options at NCC, and provides further information on sexual assault.
