CRIME ADVISORY

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY POLICE

August 30, 2022

Campus Crime Advisories are issued to warn of possible dangerous conditions on or near the Illinois State University campus.  For a complete listing of Crime Advisories, including full suspect descriptions if available, and the Daily Crime Log of the Illinois State University Police go to the Illinois State University Police website at http://Police.IllinoisState.edu/.

REPORTED OFFENSE:

On 8/29/22 ISU Police received a report of a sexual assault which occurred in Cardinal Court and a sexual abuse which occurred in Watterson Towers.  On 8/30/22, ISU Police received an additional report of a sexual assault in Watterson Towers which occurred over the weekend.  All three cases occurred in different locations, with different suspects, and are unrelated. ISU Police arrested one suspect, and the other cases remain under investigation by ISU Police and/or Title IX.  However, all of these incidents highlight the serious issues surrounding consent, as well as the use of coercive tactics by some individuals to gain consent for sex. 

Whether you live on or off-campus, we are focused on the safety of our entire Redbird family.  We care about you and your safety, and are committed to ensuring a safe campus environment in which all members of our community can learn and thrive.  It is with your safety in mind that we share the following prevention and resource information with you.

RESOURCES:

Sexual assault is a significant concern at college campuses across the country. Nationwide, it is estimated that 20 percent of women and 6 percent of men experience sexual assault or attempted sexual assault during their time in college.  According to RAINN, students are at their greatest risk of being sexually assaulted during their first few months of college.

A study, published by the Department of Justice found that:

  • 82 percent of the victims are raped by someone they know
  • 18 percent are raped by a stranger

If you have experienced an incident of sexual assault/misconduct, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, you are encouraged to get help regardless of when the incident occurred.  Students are encouraged to contact Title IX to request any services, protective measures, or interim measures needed.

Confidential Advisors are available through Student Counseling Services.  Confidential Advisors provide emergency and ongoing support to survivors of sexual violence. Confidential Advisors are staff specially trained to respond to students, explain their rights and options, and liaise with necessary campus authorities as requested by the student. Trained advocates and other support are available in the community at Stepping Stones for survivors of sexual assault and Midwest Central Community Action for dating and domestic violence.

CRIME PREVENTION:

Most sexual assaults do not involve physical force. There are multiple ways to demonstrate that there is a lack of consent during sexual activity. It is always the victim’s decision whether or not to report a crime.

Resources about the decision to report:

Reporting allows the police to:

  • Take measures toward ensuring your safety
  • Preserve any evidence
  • Prevent future crimes
  • Inform you of your rights as crime victim
  • Provide support and resource referral

For more information about reporting rape, please visit http://titleix.illinoisstate.edu/. 

Trust your instincts when you feel unsafe or uncomfortable!

Be wary when someone:

  • Tries to establish closeness and trust quickly
  • Pressures you to use, or increase consumption of, alcohol or other drugs
  • Does not respect your boundaries
  • Pouts or tries to make you feel guilty for saying no
  • Is trying to relocate to increase privacy

Any sexual activity that occurs without consent, or when the victim is incapable of giving consent, constitutes sexual assault.

  • Consent must be given for sexual act, each and every time, even in a relationship
  • Consent can be revoked at any time, for any reason
  • Consent to one activity does not imply consent to other activities
  • Consent should be informed and include transparency about protection methods
  • Intoxicated and sleeping individuals cannot consent.
  • In Illinois, persons under the age of 17 cannot consent
  • Coercion, authority, threats, or force cannot be used to establish consent
  • Consent must be offered freely and without reservation
  • Someone incapacitated due to the use or influence of alcohol or drugs cannot consent to sexual activity

If you are engaging in sexual activity, remember:

  • You are never obligated to do anything you do not want to do
  • “I do not want to” or “No” require no further explanation or reasoning
  • You have the right to tell someone to stop contacting you
    • If contact continues, save the evidence, start an incident log tracking the times and days, and contact the police

The entire campus community must become involved if we hope to prevent sexual assault.

  • We have the responsibility to intervene when we see warning signs, provided it is safe to do so
  • When it is not safe, we have the responsibility to reach out to authorities
  • The University encourages students to take appropriate action to protect others’ safety
  • There are protections provided to reduce or eliminate legal and disciplinary consequences to victims and those who report victimization

Learn more about strategies for intervening by booking a Dismantling Rape Culture Workshop through Health Promotion and Wellness.

Although you can never completely protect yourself or others from becoming the victim of any crime, you can reduce your risk of being targeted by understanding ways to mitigate risk.  

Be respectful. Be kind. Be watchful of each other.

This Crime Advisory is issued in compliance with the Timely Notice provisions of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal statute governing the reporting and disclosure of crimes on college campuses. 

For a complete listing of Crime Advisories, including full suspect descriptions if available, and the Daily Crime Log of Illinois State University Police go to the Illinois State University Police website http://Police.IllinoisState.edu.