Last week The Daily Free Press published a staff editorial lamenting a lack of safety resources on the Boston University campus (“Unsafe Week,” Sept. 28, p. 6). As a survivor of sexual assault, I became all too familiar with the rape-response resources available at BU and in Boston.
Because the incident occurred off campus and did not involve another BU student, there was little the university could legally do. However, when I met with a counselor at the BU Behavioral Medicine clinic, she offered me information not only about what BU could do to help me, but also information about help and resources in the City of Boston. BU respected my privacy by not taking any actions I did not explicitly ask it to take. At the same time, the university worked very hard to put me in touch with individuals who could help me complete my semester and return to BU this fall.
The City of Boston also has rape crisis resources. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, has a 24-hour telephone hotline, as well as offices in Cambridge and Boston where survivors can find free counseling. BARCC will also recommend clinical psychologists and counselors in the area, and all information is kept anonymous and confidential. BARCC can be accessed by phone.
BU may not offer a 24-hour hotline, but the university does have a peer listening program: Speakeasy, offered from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. While the hotline is student-run and specializes in recommending referrals, it is still another option for students seeking help on campus. Finally, the BU Police Department offers a four-week program every month and upon request, which the Free Press editorial mentioned only briefly. Students can learn more about Rape Aggression Defense online at the BUPD website or by contacting the department directly.
I was very fortunate to have these options available to me as a BU student. While it is a shame that they are not better advertised on campus, to say that the campus only seeks the appearance of safety is unfair and untrue. Perhaps the Free Press can help take a step toward making these resources better known by profiling Speakeasy and other services in a future issue.
Holly Grande
COM ’08
Former Free Press staff writer and cartoonist
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