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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1979, PAGE 19 Rape crisis centre is here to help when needed "Rape is a fact of-life. It is the most degrading, humilia- ting, horrendous crime that can be committed upon a woman," says Peggy, a vol- unteer with the Oshawa- Durham Rape Crisis Centre. Peggy and Marilyn (their last names cannot be printed because of the nature of their wot-k) are among 18 volun- teers who staff the rape crisis centre, which went into operation on June 15, 1978. The rape crisis centre offers a 24-hour telephone answering service which takes calls regarding rape and sexual assaults, and puts the caller in contact with the volunteer on duty. The volunteers are avail- able to do face-to-face coun- selling with victims, and offer confidential non-judge- mental support. They will also accompany rape vic- tims to hospital, the police station or the courts to give them support. The volunteers also are carrying on an active public relations program on rape, speaking to high schools and various community groups. In Whitby they have spoken at the Kinsmen and Lions Clubs and at Henry Street High School. One class of Grade il students at Henry High in- vited the members of the rape crisis centre to speak to them. Under a school board ruling, they are not allowed to speak at the elementary schools. "We are all lay people, for there is no professional group in this .area," said Marilyn. She also points out that, they are not a police agency, but a counselling service, with volunteers trained in crisis counselling. Regular workshops are held with the police and there are a police officer and a lawyer on the centre's board of directors. Statistics about rape in'the Durham Region are hard to pin down because many cases are unreported because of feelings of fear, guilt and shame by the vic- tims. Marilyn estimates that the centre has received about 100 calls since it started, of which most are for informa- tion, but about 30 or 40 were crisis calls. "We have been told there has been an 18.7 per cent increase in reported rapes in Durham Region in 1978 over 1977, according to the police," says Marilyn. She says that 19 rapes were reported to the Durham Regional Police in 1978, but since only 10 to 40 per cent of the cases are ever reported to police, there could be as many as 125 to 150 rapes in the region in a year. Recause of the nature of laws covering rape and sexual assault, very few cases are reported. The embarassment of medical examinations and court pro- ceedings tend to keep women fronm reporting rape cases, she said. According to Marilyn, ra pe is an act of violence and sadism rather than of sex. Victims average in age from 18 to 25, althougli child- ren aged as young as four and senior citiznns in their 70's have been raped, she said. Marilyn says that the average age for rapists is 18 to 33. According to Peggy there ar three types of rapists: the niturally aggressive person (which makes up the majority), the psychopathic person, and the parent child molestor (incest). There are more cases of incest invol- ving parents of young children than on would ima- gine, she says. A lot of incest cases are reported to the centre, which has an obiligation to inform the Children's Aid Society if the child is under 14. The role of the rape crisis centre is basically to listen to people and advise on diffe- rent alternatives, said Mar- ilyn. "It is not as difficult for a victim of a robbery to testify in court as a victim of rape," she says. "Most people are afraid to ask anyone for help." A number of callers to the crisis centre want to talk about incidents that hap- pened to them as many as 15 years ago, which still haunt them to this day, says Peggy. According to Marilyn and Peggy there is no real pat- tern to rapes. They cite the case of a woman who was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her house. Rapes can occur at parties, and in one case a woman was home during a March break and her hus- band's friend picked up the children to take them out for her. She invited him in for a cup.of coffee and he raped her, they said. Hitch hiking is an activity that can easily lend itself to a rape situation, they said. Whitby, although it is a relatively small town, has not been free from rape cases. Marilyn and Peggy repor- ted that there were two cases of rape in Whitby in the past year and a third involved Whitby residents. In one case a very young girl was involved, they said, and one girl had to receive psychiatric help for a long time after the incident. "We want to inform the public of the problem of rape and that we (the centre) exist", Said Marilyn. "There is a need for public aware- ness." Marilyn and Peggy offer a number of hints on how to avoid situations where rapes could occur. They advise women to stay out of dark areas when walk- ing in unfamiliar parts of town at night. Avoid hitch hiking, keep your car door locked when The West Lynde Public School Advisory Board will hold its annual election April 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the school. Any persons who would be willing to serve on the Advi- sory Board and are interes- ted in standing for election are asked to contact John Giles at 668-7485 for further details. Names must be sub- mitted before the élection meeting. Duties commence as of you leave it, ask for the indentification from service- men who call at your home, and don't have you phone listing your first name if you live alone, they suggest. They also advise women not to say -they are alone if they get crank phone calls, and to drive to the police station if they think they are being followed. The rape crisis centre is recognized by the United Way which provided a grant this year, and the Ajax-Pic- kering Kinsmen provided the funds to start the centre again when a previous rape ,crisis centre ran out of money. The rape crisis centre needs more volunteers and would be interested in hearing from women who . would like to help in this area. Many of the volunteers have been victims of rape themselves. The phone number of the April 1, 1979 and will extend for a two-year term. In the past there have been appro- ximately eight meetings per year. Oshawa-Durham Rape Crisis Centre is 725-2241. Although they do not want to induce unnecessary fear among women, Marilyn and Peggy acknowledge that rape is a fact of life in today's society no matter BONUS NO.1 !/HOG- includes: Pork Chops, Roast Pork S paie R ibs, & More! Approx. 6 'B 70 lbs. 'Ã" LB WVITH EVERY BEEF ORDER .2501Ibs. OR MORE where you live. "Rape does not happen to bad girls; it happens to nice girls," says Marilyn. With a rape crisis centre a woman has a place to turn to should such a tragedy happen to her. BONUS NO.2 PORK & POULTRY Includes: 25 lbs. Park Chops AND 25 lhs. Grade 'A' Chickens ONLY! $34.50 VVITH EVERY BEEF ORDER 250 Ibs. OR MORE n BROOKLIN / WHITBY MINOR HOCKEY ASSOC. ANNUAL MEETING Whhny Hal, Iroquois Park Arena Sunday, May 6th, 1979 et 2:00 p.m. Proposed changes to the constitution must be received, in writing, 30 days prior to the ANNUAL MEETING by the association's secretary Mr. Gordon Kinzie 706 Clarence Drive, Whitby, Ontario LUN 1E5 Board meets April 3 CORPORATION OFTHE TOWN OF WHITBY PROCLAMATION DAFFODIL FESTIVAL DAYS Take notice that March 29th, 30th, 31st, 1979, are hereby proclaimed as "DAFFODIL FESTIVAL DAYS" in and for the Town of Whitby. AIl citizens of the Town are reminded that ail contributors to the 1979 Cancer Campaign will receive a yellow daffodil to symbolize the hope of Cancer research. Dated at Whitby, Ontario this 28th day of March, A.D., 1979 Mayor J.C. Gartshore, Town of Whitby. CUSTOM LA CONTESSA BEAUTY LOUNGE 119 Green Street 668-9262