UF's Victory Over Violence, a club that aims to eliminate sexual abuse, will host a Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) campaign until Oct. 13.
"The main point of RAINN is to get information [about sexual violence] out to students and to get the main statistics out so people can become aware and protect themselves," said Jenna Calton, VOV president and a psychology junior.
According to RAINN's Web site, one out of six women in the U.S. has been the victim of a rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
VOV and Poets, Inc. will host a Poetry Jam Wednesday at 7 p.m. Calton said anyone affected by sexual violence can speak up during the event.
"The topics are typically taboo and many victims are afraid to come forward," she said.
"We want to make these issues OK to talk about."
On Oct. 13, VOV and Sigma Lambda Beta, a multicultural fraternity, will host a domestic violence discussion panel in the UF Computer Sciences and Engineering building.
Some of the speakers at the event include Dr. Amanda Davis, assistant professor of the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research at UF and a representative from the UF Police Department.
The mission of VOV is to spread awareness about violence around the world and in the Gainesville community, Calton said.
Lorraine Wheat, the public relations officer for VOV and advertising senior, said the RAINN campaign is a great way to educate people so that rape and abuse crimes become less frequent.
"We do it to try to prevent these things from happening," said Calton.
"The most important thing for people to realize is that just because they are on campus, it doesn't mean they're safe. Crimes can happen."
For more information, visit www.rainn.org.
