FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As the fall semester unfolds, the University of Arkansas’ Sexual and Relationship Violence Center (SRVC) is working to highlight resources available to students during what they call the “Red Zone.”  

“Historically, what has been noted over the first 11 weeks of the fall semester, when a new academic year starts, it has become dubbed as the Red Zone,” said Mary Wyandt-Hiebert, director of the SRVC. “And during that zone, we find that across the nation, about 50% or more of sexual assaults among college students are happening within that time frame.” 

The SRVC provides free and confidential support services to students, including victim advocacy, counseling and support groups. These support services are led by nationally certified and trained advocates. 

Staff members also organize outreach initiatives designed to increase awareness and prevention on campus. 

“It is never the victim survivor’s fault, that there is help out here,” Wyandt-Hiebert said. “We provide a variety of education programming through outreach initiatives and peer education. And we also provide a variety of victim services.” 

Among the center’s ongoing efforts are “Recoloring the Red Zone,” an initiative that distributes educational coloring books to raise awareness, and “Furst Tuesday,” a monthly event featuring therapy dogs to help reduce stress and encourage conversation. 

Wyandt-Hiebert emphasized the challenges and rewards of working in victim advocacy. 

“Victim advocacy is not easy work. It’s not for the weak, for sure,” she said. “You got to be strong, and you got to have a lot of resilience in order to engage in victim advocacy. But to be a successful victim advocate, what I have found is being able to draw upon the good and knowing how much we are helping students.” 

She added that much of the work requires faith in the process of healing.