Saturday’s alleged sexual assault of an 18-year-old female and Sunday’s
stabbing of Midland sophomore Nick Parmar is bringing a recent Ohio
State study close to home.

The survey, which polled 7,000 students, showed 73 percent of
college students will experience or know someone who has experienced
assault — emotional, physical or sexual.

“I think (the statistics) are quite accurate,” said Stephen
Thompson, associate physical education and sport professor and Sexual
Aggression Services coordinator. “Last year SAPA (Sexual Aggression
Peer Advocates) served over 280 cases. Not all of them were recent, but
most are two to three years sometime in the past.”

In other parts of the survey, 15 percent of students said they had
been pressured into having sex, 14 percent said they were stalked or
harassed and 8 percent had been threatened with violence.

The statistics also said nearly 2 percent of women ages 16 to 24
will experience intimate violence.

CMU is also vulnerable to crime and assault cases.

In 2004, CMU Police had two aggravated assault arrests, whereas in
1999, there were six. 

“We rarely have an assault case called in,” said Police Chief Stan
Dinius.

However, Dinius said, there have been an increase in the number of
assault calls being made to the police department.

“I think that people are more comfortable calling assault cases in
now then they were before,” he said.

Criminal sexual conduct had been on the rise up until last year,
where it dropped considerably, according to the annual CMU Police Crime
Report.

Rockford senior Maria Page said one of her friends was assaulted.

The experience made Page more aware of her surroundings, she said.

“I’m more conscious,” she said. “Until it actually happens, it’s not
as real.”

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