A woman was sexually assaulted by a person known to her along the 1800 block of East Park Avenue, the State College Police Department said.
The incident was reported at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police did not specify when the incident occurred.
The assault is the ninth to be reported since the fall semester began Aug. 27.
Police could not confirm whether the female was a Penn State student or whether drugs or alcohol were involved.
Audra Hixson, assistant director of Penn State’s Center for Women Students, said while the number of assaults may sound high, the amount of incidents is not uncommon for the fall semester, nor is it accurate.
“We know that a lot of sexual assaults aren’t reported, and so the number that are actually occurring are actually much higher than the number in the paper,” she said.
Hixson encouraged students to keep reporting incidents that occur, as well as function as “active bystanders” while out if someone appears to be in a risky situation, like walking alone at night or seeming highly intoxicated.
Hixson said many assaults in college are committed by someone known to the individual and are often a result of consent issues. When drugs or alcohol become involved, it makes it much harder to distinguish consent, she said.
Counseling services are available at the Center for Women Students for anyone who has been sexually assaulted, Hixson said.
But just because a student seeks counseling does not mean they will be required to report the incident, she said.
“It really depends on what their needs are at the time,” Hixson said.
The center is located at 204 Boucke Building. Students can set up an appointment by calling 814-863-2027 or by utilizing walk-in hours.
