Corvallis resident responds to sexual assaults on campus

Stacey Cummings holds a disguised 2 million volt stun gun.

After repeated reports of sexual misconduct allegations in Corvallis last month, a concerned citizen had enough and jumped into action.

September was a busy month for sex crimes around the Oregon State University campus.

On Sept. 16 a woman reported being awakened in the middle of the night by a man in her bed rubbing his genitals on her, just a few blocks from OSU. On Sept. 23, a sexual assault was reported by a female who told police she was assaulted between Waldo Hall and Arnold Dining Center on the OSU campus. And on Sept. 29, a man allegedly stood outside a woman’s residence, naked and masturbating not far from campus. 

Corvallis resident Stacey Cummings is saddened by increased reports of the encounters women are facing in such alleged sexual assaults. Disturbed by the stories of young females around campus being sexually violated, Cummings decided to get involved. She began advocating for women to have a plan and to have protection in the event of an attack.

She joined a team of 10,000 others across the nation that have started selling self defense items designed specifically for women. Sleek, colorful and powerful, the items are from a line of non-lethal tools from a company called Damsel in Defense. The items are made compact and lightweight with women in mind. 

In the wake of September’s crime, Cummings is doing her part to educate coeds about having easy-to-use and affordable protection. Some of the tools include a 2 million volt stun-gun that looks like a camera, tear gas pepper spray for a keychain, a portable 120-decibel alarm designed to be moved from door to door, and a keychain striking tool capable of breaking glass or inflicting harm on an attacker.

“The best way to keep ourselves safe is to protect ourselves,” Cummings said. “I don’t know if there is such a thing as too safe.”

Being aware of one’s surroundings is important to help stop a crime before it happens. Equally important is have a plan and the potential to protect oneself in the event of a crime. In her observations, Cummings has noticed more and more people walking and texting at the same time. This kind of tunnel vision concerns her because so many crimes are those of opportunity. Someone not paying attention can be a potential target.

“I really want to get their phones out of their hands and get stun guns in their hands,” she said.

Many college students maintain schedules that involve walking around at all hours of the night whether to class, the library, the gym, or dorms. In the cover of darkness, predators can strike with little warning even for those that are paying attention. Having a tool to defend oneself could be the difference between a good and tragic outcome. 

Fear for the worst is what prompted Cummings to get involved.

“I think that a little bit of fear is healthy because that’s what keeps us safe. I don’t want anyone to think that I pray on fears, but it was the fear that motivated me.”

Crime on campus is not specific to any one campus. In a survey by the Association of American Universities in spring 2015, data from 27 universities titled AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct dug deeper into what’s really happening on campuses. 

The study is one of the first to provide an empirical assessment of questions asked across a variety of campuses, and is one of the first to implement a uniform methodology to produce statistically reliable estimates. The survey answered questions such as: how extensive nonconsensual sexual contact is, how extensive sexual harassment and stalking are, to whom students are reporting the crimes to, and what stigmas surround sexual misconduct on campus.

The results speak for themselves. Sexual crimes on campus are happening everywhere. 

Of the 27 universities, 12 percent of all respondents reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or threat of physical force. About 23 percent of all female respondents reported nonconsensual sexual contact, of which about half experienced penetration. Putting these numbers in perspective, essentially one in four women on campus have been, or will be, sexually violated.

“In order to curb these things there has to be a plan,” Cummings said.

To learn more about how you can protect yourself contact Stacey Cummings at 541-908-2090.