Morrison, who helped found the Rape and Assault Defense training program (RAD) with officer Robert Sweetland in 1994, says students shouldn't feel intimidated by campus police.

"A lot of times students talk themselves out of calling by saying, 'Oh, someone else will call,' or by telling themselves it's nothing," she says.

"But I'd rather get there and have it be nothing than miss something important," says Morrison.

Women's Safety

The recent alleged sexual assault on Linden Street and the series of rapes reported near the Charles River last year renewed concern among female students regarding on-campus safety.

According to HUPD records, there have been four reported rapes in the campus area since last March and four cases of indecent assault and battery.

The RAD program, which includes two eight-hour-long sessions, is designed to help women confront safety issues in an urban environment.

The College administration endorsed the RAD program this fall by a approving a subsidy that enables undergraduate women to take the course for free.

"It's unfair that women should have to plan safe routes to the library, but it's true," says Assistant Dean of the College Virginia Mackay-Smith '78.

Mackay-Smith says one reason the College administration decided to fund the RAD program is the interest students have shown in increasing their knowledge of safety.

Morrison says that staying on one's guard and being constantly aware of one's surrounding are two of RAD's main principles.

"You can't focus on a specific place as dangerous really. You should just trust your instincts: If you feel unsafe about a place, don't go there. Awareness is a big part of the RAD program."

Students have taken the initiative to form safety organizations that both heighten awareness of safety issues on campus and deal practically with the realities of student life.

Members of the Radcliffe Union of Students founded the Harvard Alliance for Safety Training and Education, (HASTE) last October after a Cambridge woman was raped in broad daylight on the banks of the Charles. With Undergraduate Council support, HASTE became an independent campus organization and coordinated safety outreaches like the widely publicized Take Back the River Run.

Women can protect themselves from being victimized in the long run through educational programs like RAD and HASTE, but for day-to-day safety concerns, such as walking home late from the library, an escort service is essential.