April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but it's an issue that doesn't go away when the calendar turns to May.
Southeast Missouri State University is trying to help those who commit assault.
Donna St. Sauver is coordinator of the Campus Violence Prevention Program at the Cape Girardeau school.
She started a curriculum this semester for students found in violation of the sexual conduct code. St. Sauver says for some of these students, it's a matter of education.
"We go through with students the ways that they can tell if someone is consenting, during sexual contact, and then some of the ways that would say they're not. Those times when you need to stop and you need to check in with your partner. Because if we're going to allow someone, who has violated our code of conduct, to stay at the university, we need to make sure that their violation isn't going to happen again...and that includes education. And, I think students have responded to that well."
St. Sauver says other sanctions may include mandatory counseling, community service, fines and suspensions.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But, an initiative called SEMO Rising seeks to keep this issue in the forefront year round.
On average, St. Sauver says there are 7-10 sexual assault reports a year involving SEMO students.
