ST. GEORGE - The sun had set one particular night 15-years-ago in Rexburg, Idaho, and Bonita Sutton, who was attending Ricks College, was walking home after class. "A man jumped out of the bushes and proceeded to walk me home," Sutton said. "He tried to get me to come home with him and I said 'no.' He continued to make advances toward me - I made it very clear I wasn't interested." http://www.thespectrum.com/section/VideoNetwork?bctid=616516472001">Video:RAINN at Dixie State
It was at that point, Bonita Sutton's life changed forever.
"He (perpetrator) shoved me to the ground, had a knife at my throat - and proceeded to rape me," she said.
After the attack, Sutton walked home. She said she told only one person and made them promise not to tell anyone.
Life continued on like nothing happened. Bonita Sutton got married a year and half later and started a family.
"(I) convinced myself that it didn't happen - I repressed it until three years later (after the rape)," she said.
As a returning student, Cory, Bonita Sutton's husband, is working to bring awareness of sexual assault to the Dixie State College campus.
On Thursday Cory Sutton brought RAINN Day to campus. RAINN is rape, abuse, incest national network. As an integrated studies major in communication and psychology, Cory Sutton took on bringing the awareness event to DSC as a senior project.
"They (sexual assault victims) need to know there are people out there who are willing to give support in the healing process," Cory Sutton said.
With sexual assault impacting him personally in his life, Cory Sutton, strongly believes in educating people about sexual assault and providing information on services available to victims.
Bonita Sutton said there were times during her healing process she couldn't talk about her attack.
"I went through some really dark days where I thought I wasn't going to survive," she said. "I've been blessed to have a good husband and family that love and support me."
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Without them, Bonita Sutton said, she wouldn't have made it through those dark days in her life.
As students walked down the Diagonal Thursday they were presented with teal ribbons and information about RAINN and sexual assault. The DOVE Center was there along with a representative from the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
According to the RAINN website, rainn.org, the national statistic is that one in six women and one in 33 men will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. Cory Sutton brought those numbers to life with 800 teal ribbons placed on stakes in the grass - a representation of how many students may have been assaulted according to national statistics.
"Most college girls don't report it (sexual assault)," Bonita Sutton said.
Although DSC hasn't had a reported sexual assault, many don't believe it's immune to it.
"I think one rape a year is a problem," Bonita Sutton said.
Holly Malnar, case and program manager for the DOVE Center, was at the event providing information on what sexual assault is and where to get help if it occurs.
"I think awareness is the key to this whole issue - awareness that the way a woman dresses or acts doesn't make her responsible for her assault," she said. "There's not enough awareness out there that make women (know) it's not their fault."
Alana J. Kindness, executive director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said it's important for students to have an opportunity to talk about the issue - to ask questions and recognize sexual assault does happen and it is a part of communities.
"No one deserves to be sexually assaulted," Kindness said. "As a community we need to support each other and take away the shame."
There are many things, Kindness said, people and survivors can do to help survivors of sexual assault.
"The more people talk about it the safer people will feel," she said. "It's their (victims) fear of what other people will say, why they don't report."
Zero reports, Kindness said, gives a community or college campus a false sense of security.
If someone has been sexually assaulted the DOVE Center is available to assist. To contact the center call 628-1204. The center also offers a Rape and Sexual Assault support group Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Contact the center for more information on the support group.
Without them, Bonita Sutton said, she wouldn't have made it through those dark days in her life.
As students walked down the Diagonal Thursday they were presented with teal ribbons and information about RAINN and sexual assault. The DOVE Center was there along with a representative from the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
According to the RAINN website, rainn.org, the national statistic is that one in six women and one in 33 men will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. Cory Sutton brought those numbers to life with 800 teal ribbons placed on stakes in the grass - a representation of how many students may have been assaulted according to national statistics.
"Most college girls don't report it (sexual assault)," Bonita Sutton said.
Although DSC hasn't had a reported sexual assault, many don't believe it's immune to it.
"I think one rape a year is a problem," Bonita Sutton said.
Holly Malnar, case and program manager for the DOVE Center, was at the event providing information on what sexual assault is and where to get help if it occurs.
"I think awareness is the key to this whole issue - awareness that the way a woman dresses or acts doesn't make her responsible for her assault," she said. "There's not enough awareness out there that make women (know) it's not their fault."
Alana J. Kindness, executive director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said it's important for students to have an opportunity to talk about the issue - to ask questions and recognize sexual assault does happen and it is a part of communities.
"No one deserves to be sexually assaulted," Kindness said. "As a community we need to support each other and take away the shame."
There are many things, Kindness said, people and survivors can do to help survivors of sexual assault.
"The more people talk about it the safer people will feel," she said. "It's their (victims) fear of what other people will say, why they don't report."
Zero reports, Kindness said, gives a community or college campus a false sense of security.
If someone has been sexually assaulted the DOVE Center is available to assist. To contact the center call 628-1204. The center also offers a Rape and Sexual Assault support group Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m.
Contact the center for more information on the support group.
Dixie State College has no reported sexual assaults last year. Although the reports aren’t there, campus police aren’t naïve to the fact the attacks don’t happen. National statistics show one in six women and one in 33 men are sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, it reports:
• 44 percent of victims raped by a steady boyfriend or spouse report the assault – 77 percent of victims raped by a stranger report.
• 50 percent of dating violence victims report the violence to someone else: 88 percent report the violence to a friend and 20 percent report to law enforcement.
• 32 percent of students report dating violence by a previous partner and 21 percent report violence by a current partner.
• 39-54 percent of dating violence victims remain in physically abusive relationships.
• 12 percent of completed rapes, 35 percent of attempted rapes and 22 percent of threatened rapes occur on a date.
• 60 percent of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in casual or steady dating relationships.
• An estimated 5 percent of college women experience a completed or attempted rape in a given year.
• 51 percent of college males admit perpetrating one or more sexual assault incidents during college.
The DOVE Center is available to women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. If you need information or help contact them at 628-1204. The center also has a rape and sexual assault support group on Tuesdays 5 to 6 p.m. For more information on the support group call the center.
RAINN Day at Dixie State College campus gave tips on how to better help those who've been a victim of sexual assault. Some ideas were:
-Openly support surviviors of sexual assault.
-Be comfortable in talking about sexual assault.
-Know what consent means.
-Take away the shame of sexual assault.
Information and discussion is key to preventing a sexual assault.
On college campuses many students date. When dating someone talk about what your expectations are in a relationship.
