Unfortunately, it happens more often than many may think.
“The problem is it's the most under-reported crime. One in four women are going to be victims of sexual assault, that's the nationwide statistic,” Paige Dinger with FACES of Hope Foundation said.
A statistic that Ada County is not immune too.
“Sexual assault happens everywhere, just in December we have 23 forensic exams, sexual assault forensic exams. It happens here,” Dinger said.
FACES of Hope is a one-step triage and support center to help those impacted by abuse.
“We want to make sure people come in here to get the resources they need,” Dinger said.
One local tech company is working to provide resources to help those who may be put in those situations get help faster.
“I've got a couple of daughters and I often wonder, a 22- and a 23-year-old, what would they do in this type of situation. They can't always have dad with them,” Kevin Quinn with AlertSquad said.
Kevin Quinn helped develop AlertSquad, a mobile app with a Bluetooth fob that with one click of the button can call authorities.
“If you walk out the door with your keychain and your phone, you've taken that life alert system with you,” Quinn said.
There is a one-time cost of $35 to buy the fob. There’s then a $5 monthly subscription for the app.
The mobile app not only allows those threatened to alert police, but also notify four others in your circle that you may be in an emergency.
It’s something BSU graduate student Halee Davis says would have come in handy.
“I have been put in a situation, like that, and something like this would have probably saved the situation,” Davis said.
Providing a little sense of relief with just the push of a button.
“You go anywhere and you don't know the safety concerns that come behind it and so it does make you feel a little bit more comfortable,” Davis said.
If the fob is clicked twice, your phone will start to record any audio. If the fob is held down or just clicked once, the app will notify police and provide them with a GPS signal to where you are.
“Anytime you dial 911 on your phone, we're doing the same thing. Our app is just handling that for you. So, you do not have to touch your phone,” Quinn said.
A button that hopefully never has to be pushed.
“It's really relieving, coming to a college campus, especially from out of state, not knowing anybody and having your family 700 miles away and having something you can rely on that will give you a close-knit system in case there's an emergency,” Brynn, a student at Boise State, said.
Quinn says if you do accidently push the button, you can cancel it when it notifies you on your phone, but you only have a few seconds.
If you would like to know more about AlertSquad, click here.