As of November 2001: 

     For the past two years The Boston University Women's Center has been working towards the goal of an on-campus rape crisis center.  In the wake of recent events, the need for such a center has become particularly evident.  An actual center that will consolidate all the information and services that are needed in such a situation would be a huge undertaking involving many different offices of the university.  Such a massive undertaking can only be approached in small steps.  We are in the process of taking those steps.  Two years ago the Women's Center started circulating a petition to urge Boston University administration to consider this idea.  This petition now has over 1,000 signatures.  It has served to raise awareness in the student body as well as the administration.  We researched other Schools and Universitys of comparable size and income level and what kind of services they employ.  We also researched the kind of services that we have now and the steps that someone in crisis would probably take.  Since then, the Women's Center E-Board has been meeting with administration to discuss all of the issues involved.  There are many legal, administraitve, funding and staffing issues to overcome and the administration has been more than cooperative.  As of right now, the administration is considering one of those small steps needed: the printing of a rape crisis 24 hour hotline number on the back of every Boston University I.D. Card.  It is a small step, but it is in the right direction.

In case of an emergency, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) has a 24-hour hotline at: (617) 492-RAPE
They are located at:

B.A.R.C.C.
99 Bishop Allen Drive
Cambridge, MA 012139

What You Can Do

• To show your support for a Rape Crisis Center click here.
• To see a Boston Globe Article on the recent rape at Loretto Hall and previous sexual assaults on campus click here.

The following is an excerpt from the Daily Free Press, Thursday, September 16th, 1999.  It was written by Rebecca Dorn, the President of the Boston University Women's Center.

A means of prevention
Becca Dorn
Letter to the Editor

The violence that occurred this weekend is terrifying. As a member of the Boston University Women's Center, I have had a number of people contact me, asking, "What can we do about this?"

Rape is an act of violence -- and of power. Besides the physical and mental suffering survivors endure, those around them also are affected. Students are scared to be alone, scared to go to sleep. So what can be done?

The Women's Center has been working with the administration toward improving the services at Boston University, as well as informing students better about what to do and where to go if you or someone you know has been raped. Aside from the counseling services listed in the Student Life Book, Boston-Area Rape Crisis Center has a 24-hour hotline to call at 492-RAPE. The end goal is to establish a rape crisis center on campus with easy access to students. This is a long process filled with legal hurdles and issues of funding and staffing. However, every student can help in the meantime.

Many factors lead to the mindset "I can rape." It is impossible to determine all of them. It starts small, with seemingly harmless, sexist jokes. It continues with seeing people as objects to be obtained ("Man, I'd love to get her"). It continues even further with the violence that is socially acceptable in games, toys, movies or songs. These things all start to add up and manifest themselves in many ways, such as song lyrics that involve violence against women like "Smack My Bitch Up". At this point you end up with people who are desensitized and carry a general disrespect for human beings.

Each of us needs to take responsibility for our actions, and those of the people around us. We need to reevaluate how we joke, how we think and how we speak about other people. And how we view violence. This is not about "political correctness." This is about creating an atmosphere at BU that is tolerant of all genders, races and sexualities, as well as completely intolerant of any mindset that allows for the disrespect and abuse of another person.

We need to all work together to stop the violence. Speak out. Don't tolerate intolerance.
                                                                                -Becca Dorn CAS '00