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Advocate against sexual assault joins college
CLACKAMAS WOMEN’S SERVICES PARTNERS WITH CCC TO BRING NEW RESOURCE TO CAMPUS
STORY AND PHOTO BY JEANETTE WRIGHT
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
Sexual violence is the least-reported
crime, and often victims have no idea how
to respond, who to talk to or where to go.
Helping victims figure out what to do is
the most important part of the Clackamas
Community C ollege’s Sexual A ssault
Advocate position.
Appointed as the advocate in June 2017,
Mary Vest has worked at Clackamas Women’s
Services for more than two years. Vest’s
position at CCC is part of a partnership
between CWS and CCC to provide support
and help for students who have experienced
any form of sexual assault. Vest has traveled
to middle and high schools across Clackamas
County teaching violence prevention. The
classes instructed students in consent,
bystander intervention, and domestic- and
sexual-violence prevention.
Vest’s position is funded by a grant
through the Oregon Department of Justice
and will last through at least 2019. CWS
hopes the position will be permanent. The
position is the first of its kind in Oregon,
and one of the very few across the nation.
Vest is very enthusiastic about the program
and the changes it will bring to CCC.
“Having a really good on-campus
response, even if the incidents are happening
off-campus or happened, like, a long time
ago, I think still is a part of creating a really
supportive community, where people feel
safe coming forward,” said Vest.
The largest difference between the Sexual
Assault Advocate and the Title IX services is
confidentiality. While Title IX is focused on
the legal aspects, and the staff aré mandatory
reporters, Vest’s position allows her to be
discreet and personal. Vest is not required to
report, and is instead focused on providing
support to whoever comes to her. Vest’s
office in Barlow is a safe space, and is
comfortable, but Vest is mobile and willing
to meet anywhere, if the victim doesn’t feel
safe on campus.
“We want to make it as easy and
comfortable as possible for people to be
able to get support,” said Vest.
Information about the Sexual Assault
Advocate services available to students is
located on the CCC website, and faculty and
staff can direct students to the Title IX and
Sexual Assault Advocate offices. Support at
CCC can entail seeking actual legal help and
reporting, or just finding someone to talk to.
Title IX Coordinator Patricia Anderson
Clackamas Print -----------------------
Mary Vest, who has worked with Clackamas Women’s Services for two years, was assigned as CCC’s Sexual Assault
Advocate in June.
Wieck is happy to have Vest on campus.
“I really wanted someone like that on
campus, because that helps [students]
navigate on campus,” said Wieck.
Seeking help after sexual assault can be
confusing and scary, and Vest is there to
make sure that the experience is as easy and
comfortable as possible. Title IX procedures
and reporting systems are complicated, and
part of Vest’s job is to explain them in a way
that’s easy to understand.
Vest provides explanations of what Title
IX entails, how to make a report, what
to expect, and support through the whole
process. CWS’ Community Education
Program Manager Kristin Schlotterbeck
explained that Vest’s whole job is to provide
a more personable approach to seeking help
after sexual assault.
“It’s just basically for somebody fearful of
talking to anybody else in their lives because
they don’t know what would happen if a
report got made, or were nervous about that
prospect, that they can get some information
just about what the reporting process might
look like from somebody like Mary first, and
then choose or not choose to go through that
process,” said Schlotterbeck.
But providing services to help victims
respond to incidents isn’t the only thing
Vest is interested in. Vest is committed to
teaching students about sexual assault, and
believes that learning about it in college,
even in high school, is too late. Vest added
that the old teaching curriculum was about
risk reduction, rather thah teaching to
avoid committing sexual violence. Things
like “don’t go out without a buddy,” or
“don’t walk alone at night” are focused on
someone preventing sexual violence towards
themselves, rather than teaching about how
to get consent, how to give consent, or even
how to communicate well with each other.
“Most folks don’t wanna say, ‘yeah, it’s
possible I could assault someone,”’ said Vest.
Most sexual assaults don’t even happen in
unfamiliar places, or even by strangers. Most
often, sexual assaults happen in people’s own
homes, by people they’re comfortable with.
Several professors on campus have asked
Vest to visit them in class, or even taken their
classes to Vest’s office, to explain her job
theclackam asprint.net
and the services her position offers. Vest said
she’d love for that information tobe part of
the orientation process, to help students be
aware of the support CCC offers.
“Allowing people who have experienced
trauma to see faces and to know what they’re
walking into, and to know who they’re going
to meet, it’s really helpful for folks to be
able to see Mary, or to hear her speak,” said
Schlotterbeck.
The Sexual Assault Advocate office is
located in Barlow, a few doors down from
the Title IX coordinator’s office.
Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS)
24-Hour Crisis Line:
503-654-2288
Support Line:
888-654-2288
Mary Vest:
503-349-4249
Maryv@cwsor.org
NOVEMBER 22, 2017