Before starting this piece, I take into account that women are not the only sex to get sexually harassed and that men are not always the harassers. This piece focuses on these to sexes because many of the cases that have come out at Stonybrook University have been of women being harassed by men.
College is known as a time for fun and partying but how are people supposed to have fun when they are at high risk for sexual harassment at parties?
There is a big movement occurring at Stony Brook University to fight rape culture at this college. There are so many cases of sexual harassment being brought to light that an anonymous Stonybrook student created an Instagram account (@voicesofsb) to empower those who wish to stay anonymous explain their experience with sexual harassment. Most people, predominantly girls, that came out with the stories were harassed at frat parties or by frat brothers. According to Ms. Magazine, men who have never committed sexual assault are 3 times more likely to do it after coming to college.
Why is that?
A big reason for this is the entitlement, and ego that men have. Boys feel the need to do things that will show their fellow "brothers" that they are cool and "can get any girl they want" and they feel entitled to touching girls and demanding sex to seem cool in front of their "bros." And they use events like frat parties to forcibly get what they want from girls and don't see anything wrong with their actions. Society has embedded this idea that men are superior to the minds of these boys and didn't teach them to respect women or even what consent was.
And that needs to change!
Even after rape allegations have come out about these boys, many of them only feel fear for the consequences that will follow if the police or authorities get involved. They don't feel remorse for molesting a person or see their actions as wrong. And to make matter worse, these boys are using "bro code" to protect their friends from the consequences of their actions even though they know their friends have harassed girls. And even if these bystanders have never committed sexual harassment themselves, their action of protecting those who have made them just as bad.
Change needs to come, and it needs to be from us as college students. We need to scream about this matter to have laws implemented and get those who were wronged justice. As terrible as it is, our colleges do not do much anything about rape allegations.
Dozens of girls who go to Stony Brook University have gone to report the Title IX violations, but the college told them their claims were void for x and y reason.
Some girls who accused Stony's star sports players were even told to keep their mouth shut because they didn't want to lose their players. That's absolutely disgusting! Stony is giving more value and importance to how well their sports teams do than to the trauma that their own students are facing on their very campus!
Many blame the party culture for harassment occurring but blaming a person's assault on the fact that they went to a party is the same as asking them is they were wearing revealing clothes and flirted. This statement is basically saying that parties can't happen without rape happening and that is absolute nonsense.
Rape happens because of rapists. There is no way to deny that.
We must come together to raise awareness for this issue, to email law enforcement, to sign petitions. We need to be the change we want to see. We can't let any more people get away with sexually assaulting another person.
