Kidnapping and sexual assault survivor Elizabeth Smart is seeking funding so Smart Defense, the sexual violence prevention and self-defense program she developed, can be offered at all of Utah’s state-supported colleges and universities.
When older teens go to college for the first time, they receive a lot of advice from friends and family, she said.
“When I went to school, it was such an exciting time. There was a lot of attention focused on being safe, making sure you lock your door, making sure you keep track of your belongings. But what’s really frightening and scary is, actually, that the chances of you being raped on campus are two times higher than you actually being robbed,” said Smart, addressing the Utah Legislature’s Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Smart, through Sen. Chris Wilson, R-Logan, is requesting $186,000 in ongoing state funding to scale up the program from a pilot to a statewide initiative. The program has been piloted at Southern Utah University and Snow College.