Sexual Assault Survivors Gain a New Advocate

In a perfect world, Amy Howton, UC’s newest advocate for survivors of sexual assaults and gender violence, would not have a job. But statistics show, no matter where you are, that the majority of rapes occur to women aged 18-24.

Rather than being frightened by the fact that UC has appointed a sexual assault response coordinator (SARC), Howton hopes that her hiring will be a source of reassurance. “Most universities have a person like me in place. I think people should feel protected that someone is here working on their behalf. It’s kind of like a safety net,” says Howton, who holds a master’s degree in

women’s studies

from UC and is finishing up her master’s in mental health counseling in the

College of Education

.

“This is a community issue, not just a campus issue,” says Howton, who coordinates the 24-hour sexual violence hotline at (513) 218-9531. Her services are available to UC students, faculty and staff who experience sexual assault both on and off campus.

Howton returned to UC from Women Helping Women in Cincinnati, where she worked as an advocate who accompanied victims of sexual assault to the hospital. In her UC office at the Women’s Center in the Student Life Pavilion, Howton offers support to sexual attack survivors, helping them to make an informed choice about their reporting options, providing accompaniment to the hospital, offering an ear as well as crisis intervention services, and referring them, if needed, to other professionals for further assistance.

She doesn’t mind being available around the clock to help those who have been victimized. “It’s an important moment in a person’s healing,” she says. “This is work that has to be done. It’s so important.”

National estimates, Howton says, indicate that one in three women experience a sexual assault over the course of their lifetimes. Men, too, are victims - one in six men are survivors of sexual assault, according to UC’s new SARC.

At the Women’s Center, in the three-year period from 1999 to 2002, the SARC took calls from 47 survivors of sexual assaults. Of those, 20 were reported to have taken place on campus and 27 were off campus. While 25 of them were reported to police, 22 weren’t.

In addition to helping these survivors understand their rights and what services are available to them, Howton hopes to increase awareness about sex-related crimes and to expand the program to include more prevention efforts and educational programs for men’s groups like fraternities and sports teams. She would like to build on the advocacy program that was first established by her predecessor, Rani Varghese, who stepped down to pursue further studies.

To reach Howton for non-emergencies, call (513) 556-0173 or e-mail her at howtonaj@email.uc.edu