RCL5: Breaking the Silence

 

In my short time at Penn State I’ve received multiple emails and alerts regarding sexual assault on top of walking by posters in almost every residence hall warning against perverted individuals that roam campus freely. How many times must these things happen before action is taken?

A more important question is; how many times has this happened on our campus in the past year – because I could not tell you. Upon reading through the annual PSU security report I did not find a solid number: instead I read about how Penn State is trying to keep students safe and what happens to offenders. However, I feel that all students have the right to know how many of their classmates were assaulted in the past year and how many of their friends are in danger. Trying to sweep the issue of sexual assault under the rug does not fix the problem, it exacerbates it by creating an environment that makes victims feel uncomfortable coming forward with their stories.

Early on in the school year, a sexual assault occurred in my building. Everyone received an email and everyone was concerned. However, after a few days people began saying that there was no actual assault and that the victim was exaggerating. The story is that a drunk male grabbed a female, pinned her against the wall and put his hands up her dress.

That is assault. For students to dismiss that as a drunk act of stupidity is absurd and speaks volumes about how uninformed the population is about this issue. Blaming the victim is a serious problem, especially considering that 1 in 5 women in the US will be sexually assaulted or become a victim of domestic violence at some point in their lives.

To remedy this the university needs to take a more active role in putting forth preventative measures as well as more resources to help victims. Greek life on campus are required to go to seminars and discussions on sexual assault and domestic violence and that is something that all students would benefit from. If learning about this issue became about getting a good grade, more people would be informed of the implications sexual violence has on everyone. Further by urging students to ask questions and be more open about this issue it would create a better and more welcoming environment for victims to be a part of.

I plan on creating a website and maybe linking to the Center for Women Students for more information or resources. I think the use of statistics on this issues – which are alarming would provide the logos necessary for people to realize that this is in fact a pressing issue. Followed by pathos when discussing the stories of victims and what must be done to help them and make them feel welcomed at the University. Most importantly however is kairos because this is an issue that is happening right now and has never been more prevalent than it currently is which urges people to act.

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