Urinal screens attack assault

The use of bathroom paraphernalia is an odd way of making a point. So when a campus organization ordered nearly 600 urinal screens displaying anti-rape messages, the production factory thought it was a prank.\n"We had to show proof that we were university-affiliated," said Carol McCord, assistant dean in the Office of Women's Affairs. \nNow, in most men's bathrooms across campus, specially-made men's urinal screens bear the message, "You hold in your hand the power to stop sexual assault." The group responsible for the screens, Raising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters (RAISE), sees them as a way to bring attention to a necessary subject.\n"We've had posters for years, and they aren't bringing up quite the level of interest," McCord said, explaining why urinal screens were used. RAISE works out of the Office of Women's Affairs. \nSexual prevention techniques in the past have been directed mostly toward women, McCord said. This campaign aims to focus on the main perpetrators of rape: men.\nBut a statement released by the Office of Women's Affairs noted the purpose of the urinal screen campaign was not to accuse men of being rapists.\n"(Informing) men about preventing assault does not mean that all men will be perpetrators any more than information to women indicates that all women will be victimized," the statement reads.\nWhile the manner in which the message is facilitated might strike some as offensive, Dean of Students Richard McKaig said he hasn't heard any complaints. He adds that anything that makes people talk about rape prevention is a good thing.\nIU alumnus Matt Donovan, who works with RAISE, said the project was launched to generate discussion.\n"We need to keep talking about (rape), so that we communicate that it's not acceptable," Donovan said.\nThe Office of Women's Affairs statement concurred with Donovan, saying most men recognize that sexual violence is intolerable and should reach out to challenge the few who don't.\nAccording to statistics available on the IU Police Department Web site, the number of rapes that have occurred on campus in the last few years has notably declined. Eleven were reported in 2002, six in 2003 and three in 2004.\n"Do we think it will probably reduce the amount of rape on campus? I'm not sure," Donovan said. "But if nothing else, it will keep the conversation where it needs to be."\nTo learn more about RAISE and the programs it sponsors, visit http://www.indiana.edu/~owa/raise.shtml.