As director of the Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Service, Bonnie Buckley believes “the more people you can reach, the better.”

Buckley and University Police Chief Adam Due headed a forum centered on individual safety Wednesday afternoon in the Andrews Hall lobby.

Six students attended.

The forum was part of Campus Safety Week, a Student Government initiative to raise awareness, and was in conjunction with the Residence Hall Association.

Buckley and Due advised students to be prudent and deliberate in their actions.

“The way you present yourself is your biggest asset,” Buckley said about the risk of being assaulted. “Practice walking in a strong way. Do not just be aware; be assertive. Look alert.”

Due advised students to plan ahead and avoid bad situations. Watch your drinks, he said.

“I’ve been here 20 years and about anything bad on campus involved alcohol,” Due said.

Alcohol also plays a part in the majority of SACIS cases.

Due encouraged students to enroll in the UPD’s Rape Aggression Defense program, where women can learn to throw punches and land kicks to ward off would-be rapists.

Out of 14 assaults reported to SACIS this year, one occurred on campus. Due and Buckley conceded difficulty in establishing concrete statistics for sexual assault.

The UPD, SACIS and Charleston Police Department do not readily share statistics because of confidentiality laws and the reluctance of many victims to report assaults.

Buckley urged victims to remember, “It is not your fault.”

Other topics covered included the use of the emergency phones and lighting on campus.

Due said students need to report any unlit emergency phones.

Both stressed established standbys: Do not walk alone at night, do not leave friends alone at parties and be aware of strangers.

“You should be able to do whatever you want within the law and within reason,” Due said.

Thomas Stevens can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].