BLACKSBURG (WSLS 10) - Controversy surrounding the now retracted Rolling Stone article about and alleged rape on a college campus has raised awareness about the issue of reporting sexual assaults.
Staff at the Virginia Tech Women's Center said it is important for faculty and students to have a safe place where people can go to talk about sexual assault.
"It's imperative that they have a safe and supportive environment to assistance them and find out what their reporting options are and get the support they need" said Christine Dennis Smith, Virginia Tech Women's Center staff.
Christine Dennis Smith oversees outreach and educational efforts at the Women's Center. She said the organization provides a comfortable place to discuss issues such as domestic violence and sexual assaults on campus.
"People are concerned about whether they are going to be believed or being judged" she said.
Dennis Smith said having resources such as the "Stop Abuse" website can help inform sexual assault survivors about available resources.
"Often times if someone has been sexually harassed or assaulted they may drop out of classes" she said. "Title IX requires that folks have access to education and sexual assaults should not prevent them from getting that access".
There are a number of state and federal guidelines that deal with campus sexual assaults. Dennis Smith said it is important for colleges campuses across the nation to continue discussing the issue and encourage more students and staff to feel comfortable reporting cases.