Reports of forcible offenses on campus rose from two to five in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available, despite efforts by the police to stop sexual violence.

There are many reasons why more cases were reported, but there is no way of knowing exactly why, said Officer Jennifer Newell of the Norman Police Department.

Sexual violence has always been a problem on college campuses, including OU, said Anna Holloway, professional writing graduate student and director of the upcoming campus production of “The Vagina Monologues.”

“The Vagina Monologues” is sponsored by the Women’s Outreach Center to raise awareness of sexual violence. It runs Feb. 23-24 at Meacham Auditorium in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

The primary targets of sexual violence are women, but the age ranges or races of victims vary, said Lt. Bruce Chan, OUPD public information officer.

Many cases of sexual violence go unreported or unnoticed and there is no way to know how many cases are not reported in a year, he said.

“Always remember that there are some cases where the victim doesn’t want to press charges because they may be afraid of the person who attacked them,” Newell said.

One in four women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape during in their time in college, said Caitlin Campbell, organizer of “The Vagina Monologues” and women’s studies sophomore, quoting CDC statistics.

A lack of self-control is one reason for sexual violence on college campuses, Holloway said.

“A lot of young people are still not entirely in control of their passions and tend to use them inappropriately, so there’s a kind of violence that happens by accident,” she said. “It’s not intentional or vicious or malicious violence, but it’s still a violation. So college is one of the places where we confront that and learn how to deal with it, hopefully.”

There is no real solution to sexual violence, Campbell said, but women can take small steps to protect themselves.

“As an OU student, I would say you can just be very vigilant,” she said. Women on campus should let someone know where they’re going after dark, take a friend and always have a plan, she said.

Newell said the Norman Police Department tries to be proactive so whenever sexual or domestic violence occurs, victims will be provided with all of the resources they need to get help.

OUPD offers self-defense classes to help faculty, staff and students escape attackers. Any group can ask OUPD for a class to be given. Several officers attend one of the group’s meetings to teach the course.

The tactics taught by OUPD are physical techniques designed to allow victims to break away and escape attackers, Chan said.

“In order to avoid an attack, trust your instincts,” he said. “Be smart, know your surroundings and listen to that little voice in the back of your head when you think that something is wrong.”

Campbell said if someone has been affected by sexual violence, finding someone to talk to about it can help start the healing process.

Students should feel comfortable discuss their bodies openly with friends because it can help them talk about violence if it occurs, Holloway said.

“I think it’s healthy for young men and young women to learn early in their lives how to be honest and open about themselves as physical beings,” she said. “It makes a lot of misunderstandings more clear and easier to deal with when they happen.”

Education is the key to preventing sexual violence, Holloway said, especially when getting involved with someone new.

“When you’re taking risks for the first time with a person, when you’re just beginning to develop a relationship, that’s very scary,” she said. “Everybody needs more information about how to deal with it.”

Holloway said stage roles are filled but “The Vagina Monologues” still needs volunteers.