In the midst of horrible tragedies like the recent one in Pittsburgh, it is understandably easy for other stories to fall through the cracks. However, I wanted to make sure this one didn't.
Recently, a group of five high school "mean girls" at Seneca Valley High School, coincidentally also in Pittsburgh, confessed to falsely accusing a fellow male student of multiple accounts of sexual assault. Why? Because they "didn't like him."
This instance comes at an interesting time in our nation's history. With the recent Brett Kavanaugh hearings, we so often hear the phrase "believe women," and we are urged to stand hand in hand with those brave enough to come forward. "Mean girls," you are the reason why some women don't.
Sorry to break the news to you girls, but calling someone a sexual predator and assaulter is not code for someone you don't like. Everyday, women and men are sexually assaulted, harassed or raped in some way, shape or form, and for you to make a mockery of this is disrespectful and hurtful.
You will never know the feeling of looking your ACTUAL abuser in the face in court as you struggle through tears to tell your story on the witness stand. You will never know the feeling of blocking the person who date raped you on every form of social media just because you can't see their face without crying. You will never know the sensation of feeling dirty no matter how many times you clean yourself because this is the kind of dirt that can't be seen.
And not only are you ruining any chance for women to receive proper justice and respect, you are also ruining this boy's life.
These girls wrote the word "PREDATOR" in tape on the boy's back. This boy spent nine days in a detention center because he was deemed "a threat to the community." This boy is now being homeschooled because the school board took no repercussions against the girls after they admitted they were lying the entire time.
This is exactly why the #HimToo movement exists, because although men are falsely accused of rape and assault way less often then actual rape or assault occurs, it still does happen.
It makes me sad to think that our rape culture is so messed up that (1) these girls thought that doing this was ok, and (2) that they, themselves, are not receiving any punishment for their actions, instead their parents are being sued by the boy's parents. We are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to believing women. On the one hand, we are told to believe women when they have the sheer courage to step forward and discuss what happened to them. We are encouraged to admire their bravery, and to support them every step of the way. On the other hand, our Constitution says that we are innocent until proven guilty, and this story is one of the reasons why that shouldn't change for those accused of rape and sexual assault.
To be perfectly honest, I don't know entirely where I stand on that issue, because I can easily see both sides. But one thing I do know is that our rape culture in the U.S. seems to be getting worse, and it is the job of everyone to change the narrative.
