BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech is creating a new website to combat sexual violence and support survivors.
A workgroup with the university, known as the Sexual Violence Culture and Climate Work Group, will help set up a website that will lay out information and resources about sexual violence.
As a former Radford police detective, David Trail remembers sexual assault cases were rampant on and off college campuses.
Since the late 1990s, he has dedicated his time to teaching women self-defense tactics and situational awareness.
He said the website is a good step to help diminish the stigma and encourage victims to file a report.
“There’s a whole lot of victim-blaming,” Trail said. “From a victim’s perspective, ‘What’s my friends going to think of me? What’s my family going to think of me?’”
Virginia Tech is seeking community input with a survey to help establish a name for the site before it is launched.