I was sitting in class when I received the text alert on my phone from Penn State.
“Your Right to Know:
Sexual Abuse Took Place by Four Unidentified Fraternity Members”
Seeing news like this, especially as a young, naive, college girl, is chilling to the core. Perhaps the worst was the fact that the victim herself did not even report it, but a third party who she told had to.
This is not the first, nor the last of these types of headlines. Sexual assault on college campuses is an epidemic, affecting girls and boys of every race, religion, and sexual orientation. It is disheartening to hear, and is one of those problems that seems to lack a clear solution, which often can lead to hopelessness. Girls are often taught how to prevent sexual assault, instead of boys being taught to simply not be perpetrators of such crimes.
So what is there to do? What is the prescription for a seemingly incurable dilemma?
Well, it is first necessary to have a clear and distinct definition of what is considered sexual abuse, or rape, or assault on a particular campus. Each campus has their own specific definition, so it is necessary to be educated on your campus’. Penn State has a clear definition of all, and even has incoming students participate in an online education course about the best response to sexual assault, as well as informed them of their options in case such an event did occur.
As a young woman on a huge college campus, I have much to deal with already, as does everyone. I am struggling to keep up with mountains of homework, job searches, and a social life, all while maintaining my sanity. But I, along with thousands of others women here and millions all across the country also have the added worry of maintaining a sense of safety. I know I am not to walk alone past a certain hour. I know that going out means always having a buddy system, no matter what, and leaving when even one person feels uncomfortable. I know that women have to deal with the worry that comes with every rejection they have to give, that it is necessary to phrase it in such a way that allows for us to not be left with a potentially dangerous individual.
College is scary and overwhelming enough: we do not need this as well.
This MUST end.
So I urge you to read up and know the resources offered to you throughout campus, as well as take into consideration some of the practices I and many others partake in.
I agree that sexual assault as an epidemic is confusing and disheartening. As a college student, I struggle with balancing a sense of independence with a sense of safety. I also agree that there are some preventative measures that we can take as college students to lower our chances of becoming victims, but I believe that this sexual assault epidemic will be difficult to address until we can successfully eliminate the social factors that cause people to be perpetrators of violence and abusive power.
The realities of sexual assault on Penn State’s campus is truly terrifying. I think about it daily, questioning what moves I’ll make to try and stay safe. It’s truly ridiculous that that is how we have to live. I’ve heard that freshman year is the most likely period in someone’s life to be sexually assaulted. Do you know about the red zone? It’s the idea that first-semester freshmen are at extreme risk of being sexually assaulted. It’s truly terrifying.