While inventors like Sohnette Ehlers are advocating aggressive methods of dealing with rape, there are other, less aggressive steps people can take to ensure their safety.

Northeastern Sexual Assault Counselor Laura Weiss said the most important strength in preventing rape is numbers.

“Keep track of your friends,” she said. “If you see something that’s off, make a point to intervene.”

She reminded males to remain vigilant as well.

“Rape doesn’t only happen to women,” she said.

She said it is especially important to be vigilant at parties, where drinks and punch bowls can be spiked with date-rape drugs.

Especially on college campuses, most perpetrators of rape know their victims already, she said.

In Boston, rape remains an issue.

According to Northeastern Uunivesity Police Department (NUPD), seven rapes were reported on campus in 2004, while 11 were reported in 2003.

However, Weiss said that statistic was skewed.

According to national statistics, 95 percent of rapes on college campuses are not reported.

“NUPD would tell you that we have a very safe campus because the number is low, but that’s not necessarily true,” Weiss said.

Nationally, she said, 35 out of every 1,000 female students are raped on a college campus.

With Boston’s spike in citywide crime last year that focused mainly on a homicide increase, the number of rapes and sexual assaults also increased, according to Boston Police Department statistics.

There were 302 rapes and sexual assaults reported citywide in 2005, up from 279 in 2004, the statistics said. The change marked a 7 percent increase.

The homicide rate increased by 20 percent, marking the most drastic increase of the year.

The rate of rape saw a more modest increase, similar to those of robbery and nonsexual assault. Robberies increased by 6 percent, while nonsexual assaults increased by 7 percent, prompting community calls for Northeastern to shore up campus safety before attempting to build more residence halls at a community task force meetings two years ago.