Maxim Vitkovsky

ENGL 219
11/18/18
Small Assignment 3
Sexual assault has recently become a very important issue because it is so impactful to the
victims and so widespread throughout the community, especially on collage campuses. It is very
important to first understand the issue fully, and then to apply that understanding to come up
with effective solutions for the problem.
The statistics of sexual assaults, sexual violence, sexual harassment, etc., at UNM vary
significantly from the national average for all colleges. The rate of sexual assault across the
country is 11.2%, for all students, both graduate and undergraduate, at all universities
nationwide. The statistics for UNM for 2017 are a total of 31 reported cases. With a student
headcount of 26,278 students for the Fall 2017 semester, the sexual assault rate at UNM for the
school year 2017 is 0.1179%. This includes rape (19 cases), fondling (12 cases), incest (0 cases),
and statutory rape (0 cases). So, at UNM, there is significantly lower rate of sexual assaults than
nationwide. This might not be good news, however, because this could also mean that many
cases are not reported and unknown. With 26,268 students for the Fall 2017 semester, the
number of cases should have been closer to 3,000 cases, approximately 100 times more that the
reported amount.
At the University of New Mexico (UNM), there are many resources available for victims of
sexual misconduct. For medical attention, UNM has the Albuquerque Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiner (SANE). It provides students with 24-hour free medical exams, treatment, and forensic
evidence collection. For counseling and advocacy services, UNM has Student Health and
Counseling (SHAC), for counseling, crisis intervention and medical services, Rape Crisis Center
of Central New Mexico, which provides Victim Advocates, free counseling, and a 24 hour
hotline, LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center, offering advocacy & multiple resources. UNM also
has Women's Resource Center, LGBTQ Resource Center, and Counseling and Referral Services
(CARS), all three of which provide free counseling and advocacy. Finally, there is UNMPD
(University of New Mexico Police Department), which consists of specially trained SMART
officers.
There are many possible contributing factors to the rate of sexual assault/harassment on UNM’s
campus, but most likely, the most factor is alcohol use. That is the most common contributing
factor, according to numerous studies. Other factors are sorority membership, numerous sexual
partners, and freshman/sophomore status. The individuals that fall into one or more of these
categories are at a much higher risk of sexual assault than their peers.
There are many solutions that have been tried at other colleges and universities that could also
work for UNM. Three solutions are discussed here. The first proposed solution is designed
primarily for solving the issue that not enough information is known about the problem. The
solution is to sponsor a research study about sexual misconduct at UNM. It should be designed in
a similar manner to the Columbia Sexual Assault study. The study will consist of various forms
of collecting data about how students view and what experiences they have had with sexual
harassment, including interviews, following students around and studying their behaviors and
interactions with others.
 Maxim Vitkovsky
ENGL 219
11/18/18
The second solution is to have a more organized reporting system, so that no details are left out
or changed from the testimony of the victim. The current system, while very good, can still be
improved upon. For example, the victim’s testimony can be recorded so that no details are left
out from what the victim explains. The whole process can be more organized and more
digitalized, so that it would be easier to access it in court and easier to see what goes where.
The third and final solution is to increase the amount of sex education that is required for
students. Currently, UNM only requires the Gray Area harassment training class during the New
Student Orientation. But this training should be required one per school year, or even once per
semester so that the information stays fresh in student’s minds. It must be required so that every
student has the same training. The training program must also be easy, but interactive, so that
students don’t just text on their phones the whole time. It must also be changed every time, so
that it’s not repetitive, it must convey the same information, but in a different way each time.
Overall, this issue is very serious and should be treated as such. It is very important to get the
problem fixed as soon as possible, but the way the issue is approached is just as important as the
solution itself. All these solutions must be researched and tested before going into full effect to
make sure they are as clear and efficient as possible.

Reflection
While researching the topic, I studied the problems that the videos were describing as well as the
solutions already implemented at UNM and other colleges. Looking at those problems and
solutions, I tried to find the biggest gaps that were still not filled, specifically at UNM. The
research that I conducted was integral to finding these gaps because it allowed me to compare
what I already knew about UNM with what other people and universities have experienced. That
helped me shape most of my solutions and make sure they are appropriate for UNM. I also used
the research as a source of ideas and potential solutions that are already proven to work at other
colleges. The trick, however, was to filter out the solutions that would not work at UNM for one
or more reasons. I tried to find the solutions that both don’t require many modifications to the
current system, but also have a high impact.
I found it very surprising that so many universities ignore these situations. I didn’t realize before
that many universities intentionally hid some information from the hearing panel to reduce the
chances of the case being believed. I also didn’t know before conducting this research that so
many people don’t report their sexual assault cases. If they would, maybe then the issue would
get more media attention and that might help it be solved faster and better.
I didn’t find any particular challenges in completing this assignment because I have written
similar papers before and, therefore, knew how to approach this assignment. I was able to start
researching and then writing right away, without thinking a lot about what was being asked of
me, again, because of my prior experience with similar assignments.