Forum to Address Sexual Assault on College Campuses
George Mason University and Fear 2 Freedom Work to Raise Awareness at Oct. 7 Event. Mason Students to Make Rape Recovery Kits to Give to Inova hospitals.
Fairfax, Virginia – George Mason University is working with advocacy group Fear 2 Freedom to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses. George Mason students will be making rape recovery kits to give to Inova hospitals at a forum on Oct. 7.
The event is part of Mason’s commitment to eradicate sexual violence on its campus. Sexual assault is the number-one violent crime on college campuses. Across the country, one in five college women are victims of sexual assault.
“It’s our job to make sure everyone is safe,” said Mason President Ángel Cabrera, who was recently named by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to a statewide Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence. “No one should live in fear, especially on a college campus.”
Rosemary Trible, founder and president of Fear 2 Freedom, a Newport News, Va.-based advocacy group that works to comfort victims of sexual assault, will join Cabrera at Mason’s Freedom and Learning Forum, a twice-yearly dialogue series that focuses on crucial issues such as sexual assault.
“A critical answer to ending sexual assault on college campuses is to educate students on the effects, repercussions and the lifetime impact that sexual assault has on the victim,” said Trible, who also is a member of the statewide Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence and the wife of former U.S. Senator and current President of Christopher Newport University Paul Trible Jr.
This fall’s Freedom and Learning Forum will benefit Inova Health System’s Ewing Forensic Assessment and Consultation Teams (FACT) department for those sexually assaulted or impacted by domestic violence, child abuse or sex trafficking. Mason students will write personal notes of encouragement and assemble recovery kits for adults and children who are victims of sexual assault. These “Fear 2 Freedom” kits will be donated to survivors that present for care at any Inova hospital.
The kits are “a medical kit for the heart,” said Trible, who was raped at gunpoint in 1975 and started the Fear to Freedom organization in 2011. The kits include clothing, toiletries, a “Freedom Bear,” a personal note and other tools to help start the healing process.
“We urge all victims of sexual assault to seek the support and care of a medical professional as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not they choose to report it to the police,” said Glynis Laborde, Director of the Ewing Forensic Assessment and Consultation Teams (FACT) at Inova. “Inova is dedicated to caring for women, men and children who have suffered from rape or sexual assault by offering free, anonymous exams to these patients. The personal care kits offered by organizations like Fear 2 Freedom make a tremendous difference in the lives of the abused and help us provide the best possible support and care during this traumatic time.”
Freedom and Learning Forum information:
Seating is limited to registered attendees. Students are asked to register at http://lead.gmu.edu/leadership-programs/freedom-and-learning-forum/ to attend the event.
Media is invited to attend but must register in advance to reserve a spot. Media contact: Michele McDonald, mmcdon15@gmu.edu, 703-993-8781.
Day: Tuesday, October 7
Time: 3:30-5 p.m., Forum speakers
Time: 5:30-7 p.m. assembly of Fear 2 Freedom kits.
Where: Front Ballroom in the HUB Student Center
4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
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About George Mason University
Media contact: Michele McDonald, mmcdon15@gmu.edu, 703-993-8781
George Mason is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls nearly 34,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility.
About Fear 2 Freedom
Media contact: Gregory Simmons Lemos, lemos.gregory@gmail.com, 404-606-0760
Rosemary Trible is the President and Founder of Fear 2 Freedom, a global non-profit organization dedicated to redeeming and restoring the lives of those impacted by sexual assault. Her husband, former U.S. Senator, Paul Trible Jr. currently serves as the President of Christopher Newport University. Trible penned the autobiographical Fear to Freedom where she shares her own healing journey after being raped at gunpoint in 1975. For more information about Fear 2 Freedom, visit http://fear2freedom.org/
About Inova
Inova is a not-for-profit health care system located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, serving over two million people with over 1,700 licensed beds across based in Northern Virginia. Inova consists of five hospitals including the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center for critical patients and Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care unit. Inova encompasses many health services including the nationally and internationally recognized Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI), Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI) on genomics, Inova Neuroscience Institute and Inova Children’s Hospital. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus was recently named #1 best hospital in the Washington region by U.S. News & World Report for the third consecutive year. All five Inova hospitals ranked in the top 15 in the state of Virginia. Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. More information and statistics about Inova is at www.inova.org.
Media contact:
Tracy Connell, tracy.connell@inova.org, 703-289-2087