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One in three women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime in Utah. One in eight will be raped. One in 50 men will be raped. -UDOH
LOGAN -- Dozens of men at Utah State University today slipped into high heeled shoes to take a stand against sexual assault. That may sound like a strange way to make a point, but many men and even boys understand it's largely up to them to stop gender violence.
On campus in Logan Wednesday, it was quite a sight to see men wobbling, hobbling and high-stepping in all varieties of brightly-colored high heels.
It's all for "Walk-a-Mile-in-Her-Shoes" at Utah State, put on by SAAVI, or Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Info. Fraternity brothers, athletes, police officers, professors, students and men from the community took a stand against rape, sexual assault and gender violence by walking a mile in heels.
"I got into some heels and walked around like a real man and showed my support for women, and collected a little bit of money for the cause," said Josh St. John-Sellers, a USU junior.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and events like this raise awareness and money to end violence.
Health Department statistics show one in three Utah women will experience some type of sexual assault in her lifetime, and one in eight will be raped. That's higher than the national average.
Alex Erazo, 12, may not know those numbers, but he says he wants to make the world a safer place for his mother and sisters.
"Rape and sexual assault, they're both real," said Alex. "It can hurt people, and I don't think that's cool."
Alex raised more than $630 for the cause. He said he got some funny looks on the walk and sore feet, but said it was worth it.
- Utah's reported rape rate was 63.7 per 100,000 females in 2008, compared to the U.S. rate of 57.4 per 100,000.
- In 2008, over 88 percent of rapes were not reported in Utah.
- More than four out of five times when a woman is raped, it is by someone she knows. In Utah, 91.4% of rapes are committed by someone on the victim knew. And the average length of time she has known them is one year.
- 8 percent of girls and 5 percent of boys in Utah high schools were forced to engage in unwanted sexual activity.
- 1 in 4 college women have survived rape or attempted rape.
- 43% of rapes occur in a residence, often the victims own home, and 36% occur in cars.
"They hurt," he said about his feet, "But I got some gel inserts for Easter and I'm wearing them right now, and it's made a big difference with these shoes."
It's a serious topic for a youngster, but event organizers say that's the point.
"We get to take a really serious conversation and put it in a comfortable and fun environment," said Jessica Vasil with SAAVI. "It opens up the doors to have a lot of serious conversation in a lighthearted atmosphere."
All money raised Wednesday goes toward the fight against sexual assault and rape on campus.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
