How Brock Turner Unknowingly Reignited The Conversation About Alcohol And Sexual Assault On College Campuses | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

How Brock Turner Unknowingly Reignited The Conversation About Alcohol And Sexual Assault On College Campuses

Rape is not the result of intoxication. Rape is the result of a rapist.

10
How Brock Turner Unknowingly Reignited The Conversation About Alcohol And Sexual Assault On College Campuses
Wenner Media

A rape case involving Brock Turner, a Stanford student, and an unidentified 23-year old female has spread around social media and the news this past week. Turner, a swimmer at Stanford, was arrested and tried for sexually assaulting a 23-year old woman after both had been drinking at a fraternity party in California. While the victim did not remember the events of the attack, she was told, "she had been found behind a Dumpster, and learned from news reports that witnesses had discovered her attacker lying on top of her unconscious, partly clothed, body. The witnesses intervened and held the attacker for the police."

This case reignited a very important (and often ignored), conversation on the relationship between sexual assault and alcohol on college campuses. This is not a new issue, and has plagued colleges across the country for decades. Another spotlight case is Emma Sulkowicz, who carried her mattress around with her at Columbia until her rapist was expelled (spoiler alert: he never was). According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men will be sexually assaulted while they attend college. Rape is the most underreported crime, and it is believed that more than 90 percent of assaults on campuses are not reported.

The maximum jail sentence for someone convicted of rape is 14 years imprisonment, but Turner received a much lighter sentence of six months in jail. According to Judge Aaron Persky, a known Stanford alumni, “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others." Judge Persky's ruling received much criticism from the public for its evasiveness in holding Turner accountable for his actions.

Supporters concerned with Turner's reputation post-trial argue he should not be jailed at all. Turner's father complained that, "his son's life had been ruined for '20 minutes of action' fueled by alcohol and promiscuity." One of Turner's childhood friends, Leslie Rasmussen, wrote the following letter to the judge,

"I don’t think it’s fair to base the fate of the next ten + years of his life on the decision of a girl who doesn’t remember anything but the amount she drank to press charges against him. I am not blaming her directly for this, because that isn’t right. But where do we draw the line and stop worrying about being politically correct every second of the day and see that rape on campuses isn’t always because people are rapists."

What Judge Persky, Mr. Turner, and Rasmussen have conveniently forgotten is that Brock is not the victim. His sobriety (or lack thereof) is not a valid excuse against his actions. Turner's case shows us how deeply ingrained assault assumptions are in our culture, and how misinformed many Americans are on the relationship between alcohol and assault.

While the extent of the relationship between alcohol and assault is still unknown, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that alcohol consumption is one of the most highly used excuses to justify an assault. Alcohol provides a cover for the predatory behaviors of perpetrators, who can blame their intoxication for their inappropriate behavior. When rape sympathizers use intoxication to justify the actions of a rapist, they are perpetuating a cycle of violence and harmful stereotypes. The verdict from Judge Persky, the complaints from Mr. Turner, and the letter from Rasmussen shift the blame from Turner to his victim. It enforces the idea that the victim is responsible for the actions of their attacker, and it is their responsibility to protect themselves from assault.

Rape is not the result of alcohol, intoxication, or the victim; it is the result of a rapist.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less
college
Pinterest

For many undergraduates across the nation, the home stretch has begun. Only one more semester remains in our undergraduate career. Oh, the places we will go! For the majority of college seniors, this is simultaneously the best and worst year out of the past four and here’s why.

1. The classes you are taking are actually difficult.

A schedule full of easy pottery throwing and film courses is merely a myth on the average campus. With all of those prerequisites for the upper-level courses and the never-ending battle you fight each year during registration for limited class seats, senior year brings with it the ability to register for the final courses you need to fulfill your major. Yet, these are not the easy entry level courses. These are the comprehensive, end of major, capstone courses designed to apply the knowledge from all your previous courses, usually in the form of an extensive research paper or engaged learning project. The upside is you actually probably really enjoy these classes but alas there is no room for slackers here.

Keep Reading...Show less
man in black crew neck t-shirt
Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

1. You're tired of school food and have resorted to surviving off junk food and cereal.

2. Your financial aid/money is running out...and chances are it all went to textbooks and takeout.

Keep Reading...Show less
man and woman
www.lifefactuality.com

We’ve all dated someone who just wasn’t quite right...but, why?

Here are nine reasons you're probably still too in denial to admit.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Laugh, Cry, and Relate: Chandler Bing's Best Quotes

Because Chandler Bing should be everyone's spirit animal.

138
Chandler Bing
Zimbio

Ah, Ms. Chanandler Bong, or Chandler Bing as he is better known as. For 10 years, Chandler brought us many laughs, many tears, and, well, Matthew Perry's fame. He is, personally, my favorite character on "Friends" because he made me laugh more than any other character on the show and I felt like I could relate to him more than the other characters on the show. Anyway, here are 10 Chandler Bing quotes that anyone can relate to... or graduates can at least...

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments