The “Me 2 You 2 We All Want 2 Reduce Sexual Assault” deliberation did not only tackle a controversial topic but it left a personal impact on me. The fact this is a relevant problem on campus, hits very close to home. There are people being victimized everyday. I see this through the copious sexual assault reportings sent through the police notification texting service. Sadly, these reported crimes are not including the abundance of unreported assaults that occur. Sexual assault is an issue which needs attention and immediate action.
Throughout this deliberation we discussed the different aspects of sexual assault such as education, consequences of offenders, and victim support. Each approach tailors to the different entities who can make a change. Stakeholders such as the government, public, media, families, and schools can all take action. We discussed how each one can can approach this topic even starting at a young age.
For the education portion, it was an agreement that families and schools should start the talk about consent with young children. It does not necessarily have to be about sexual assault when pertaining to consent. For example, they can teach children about asking for a hug instead of just doing it. This can help clarify exactly what it means to allow someone to breach your personal bubble, and to respect others’ personal space. It was surprising to find out that among the participant, only a few were taught what exactly consent means and how to ask for it. Even the media can reach people about sexual assault education by promoting campaigns and educating the public about consent, myths and stigmas surrounding these attacks. The government can sponsor these campaigns or spread the message through implementing laws to make both private and public schools educate with the same program. The fact that the idea that anything other than a verbal “yes” constitutes sexual assault was not commonly known, draws attention to the lack of education within our society.
This conversation made me realize that there is a need to teach society what defines consent starting at a young age. Today, most people are not being taught what it means until they are “of age”, which usually is around 16 years old. This portrays the message that consent can only be used in regards to sex. However, this is not the case. In fact, there are many actions that require consent, but many people assume permission even when it is not verbalized. This is demonstrated through actions like hugs. In America, it is considered unusual to ask for a hug, so people usually initiate the action without thinking about the other person’s approval. Regardless of the severity, it is still a breach of personal space. Hugs or any bodily contact should be invited by both parties. In order for consent education to be effective, we need to start by teaching children. We can see the effects of teaching consent at a late age with the high numbers of sexual assaults that we have today. In the Netherlands, children have to approve when someone asks for a hug, which is why this country has the lowest rates of sexual assaults. This showcases how if children are able to understanding how to ask and give permission, they will have a better understanding of what consent is for sex.
Overall, this deliberation opened my eyes to the various aspects of sexual assault which are not spoken about within society. The participant showed so much passion for this topic that we really analyzed each option and the pros and cons that is associated with them. I wish this deliberation was available for the public to see and for them to be apart of because it was one of the most impactful conversations I have participated in.
These kinds of conversations are so important. There’s not one specific solution to sexual assault; it requires many societal changes to eliminate. I find the consent education so interesting– I never experienced it (especially at such a young age) but it sounds like a promising way to address this issue. I think having a discussion like this would be extremely beneficial for all Penn State students, because it remains such a huge issue on campus.
This deliberation sounds like it was really great and brought up an important discussion that we need to be having on our campus. I am so happy to hear that you said that the facilitators made a point to focus on supporting the victims. This is so so important when dealing with sexual assault, and I’m happy to hear the people who conducted research on this topic also acknowledged this fact. I also agree that education needs to improve in some way. I think it needs to start younger and needs to be more consistent, continuing every year (in different ways) each year so that children can’t forget it.
It is sad to know that so many people did not realize the only way to gain actual consent is with a verbal “yes.” Consent is something that is not really taught to teens and children, and because of this they have problems with it later on. I’m glad to hear the leaders of the deliberation were supporting the victims, because most times in our society the opposite happens. Victim blaming is a huge problem and an excuse people use for consent. We need to step up and start teaching people exactly what consent is and what sexual assault is at a younger age. We need to start teaching people to stop sexually assaulting people instead of teaching people how not to be sexually assaulted.