Abuse is difficult to talk about and, for some, even more difficult to respond to.

Current statistics say one in four women have experienced some form of abuse in their lifetime, and one in five men have been sexually victimized in their lifetime.

Abuse is especially present within the college-aged group of people, according to the Alabama Coalition Against Sexual Violence. The coalition reported that there were 1,264 rapes reported to law enforcement in 2011. Of those reported assaults, 21.9 was the average age.

Lynne Martin, director of Student Counseling Services, said these are situations where a friend should just be a friend.

“I mean a good listener,” she said. “These are not situations where a non-professional should suggest or attempt interventions or care taking. For instance, locally we have an organization, Safeplace, that specifically exists to provide aid and safety to victims of domestic abuse.

“They are the professionals that know how to plan and safely execute interventions and exit plans for these victims. A friend would encourage the victim to seek professional help from the appropriate professional person or agency.”

Bystanders must intervene when they have knowledge of abuse, Martin said.

“Officials or resources cannot intervene or provide the appropriate support and protection to a student if they are unaware of the situation,” she said. “Often what we hear from students is that they withhold information not wanting to ‘tattle’ on a friend, or fear losing a friend or want the friend to have the option to tell the story. All of these may be possible, but what they are missing is that their friend may not be safe and may be too scared to tell. When an abuse is not reported, no investigation is initiated and an abuser can be left free to continue abusing others and putting others in danger.”

Students must accurately inform themselves about available resources, services, procedures and policies, she said.

“[Students must] ask questions, read and be proactive to gain appropriate knowledge and know

how to keep themselves as safe as possible,” she said. “Be familiar with campus resources that are at the student’s disposal for help and support. UNA’s web pages are full of information and links concerning these and a multitude of other issues.”

The Infinity Project, formerly known as 1n4, is a new registered student organization (RSO) on UNA’s campus. Jacob Ezell, president of The Infinity Project, said he is hoping to raise awareness about sexual violence.

“Our main goals are education, advocacy and prevention,” he said. “One reason that Infinity Project emerged is because there needs to be prevention efforts against sexual violence in this community and especially on campus.”

Infinity Project has several projects planned for the upcoming year, Ezell said.

“Throughout the year, Infinity Project will provide volunteer opportunities and events for students,” he said. “We plan to host events to educate the campus, and we will seek to raise awareness about sexual violence myths and statistics through public relation campaigns. Long term, we hope to make UNA policies concerning sexual violence better for students.”