It’s something that’s horrendously despised by many, and sadly, tryingly justified by few. In all honesty, from a male’s perspective, there is no justification for it.
Whatever politician or father of an offender says, there is absolutely no excuse.
I absolutely do not care what piss poor attempt you have to justify one human even considering touching another inappropriately and non-consensually.
Sexual assault, to any degree, is undoubtedly wrong in every meaning and should be treated closely to murder, if not exactly like murder. Many people may think that this is an exaggeration; however, I would certainly stake my name for the fact that experiencing sexual assault is nowhere in relevance of a cake walk, in comparison to murder.
The reality of the matter is when you murder someone, by definition, they no longer live. They don’t live to have horrendous flashbacks which cause them to relive every excruciating moment about being murdered. They aren’t going to wake up every morning and deal with the fact that they were killed by another person.
They don’t lose sleep from the nightmares they have reliving their murder. They don’t have to experience the awful process of being stripped down, having uncomfortable areas swabbed and poked in order to determine the murderer.
Yeah, they’re still alive. But are they ever really okay again? Do they ever really return to being themselves after it’s all said and done, even after the perpetrator is caught?
As a male, I can’t answer these questions. I have never directly experienced any sort of sexual assault myself. I’ve seen women I’ve held close to me, deal with being sexually assaulted, or even nearly sexually assaulted. I’ve seen how they act and how they change only to turn their backs on the world, including the ones who love them.
I see how the light in their eyes has faded into a distant color I never thought it could be. I see the emptiness they stare off into during their flashbacks and can only imagine the horror they experience. I’ve seen the triggers that occur in crowds of people and when someone they haven’t seen in a long time grabs them without them being prepared.
As a male that’s seen these direct effects, I can only use my platform to bring some perspective. Shed some sort of light on the darkness that is the culture surrounding sexual assault and society’s response to it, even if it isn’t the most prominent light. I can spread a firm voice, saying that no matter how drunk the girl you’re hitting on is, it doesn’t give you the right to enter her pants after everyone has gone home from the party.
You may not literally be taking her life, but in reality, you are pretty much destroying the life force inside of her that she once held so dearly. You’re crushing the spirit she once had for the life she led. If I’m able to interpret this just by their behavior from the aftermath, you should be able to interpret that she’s probably going through much worse than whatever I’m able to mention.
My heart breaks for anyone that has ever gone through this horrific and traumatizing experience. Friends and family members will experience this heartbreak, too, if it happens to their loved ones.
But the worst part about their heartbreak: it is only a fraction of a tremor in comparison to the quake, which will send ripples and aftershock through the victim’s heart for the rest of their lives.
I challenge every other male out there to really step back and take into consideration the aspects surrounding sexual assault of any kind. Any time you see a girl that’s well over intoxicated, go out of your way to make sure whatever guy that’s draping himself all over her, isn’t the one taking her home at the end of the night.
Any time you see a girl trying to escape a guy that won’t let her go, step in and don’t be a bystander. We, as males, need to stand with our female counterparts. We have a huge voice; most guys don’t understand how radiating it can be to hear another man project his voice in distaste for another man’s actions. If you see a girl out walking by herself to get home one night, offer to pay for her Uber or Lyft to make sure she makes it home okay.
Be the light of someone’s life. Any chance that we get to lower the odds of any woman experiencing sexual assault in their lifetime, we should take.
If you find yourself with a girl that is nude, drunk, or unconscious, unless she can wholeheartedly and coherently consent to sexual actions, consider it your duty to help her out and cover her up, sober her up, or save her life if you need to.
Nobody in the history of mankind ever did anything to deserve to be sexually assaulted. It’s time we stop pretending that boys will be boys and establish men that take a firm stance in opposition to sexual assault.