Different sorority’s do different things once you get into them, in the case of mine and a couple other ones I know of, we did a large number of things about what to do when a sister or you have experienced a case of rape or molestation.
I was very happy that we were learning so much about this, as it is a very important issue that I think not just sorority girls, but everyone, should be educated on. I believe that college students in general especially need this information because you never know what could happen at a party when alcohol is mixed into the picture.
Then one of my sisters asked if the frat guys had to get these lessons as well, to which an older girl replied that some frats do have some kind of variation of these lessons, but not many of them.
The girl then said, “well then why are they not getting the lesson if they are the one causing the problem?”
Her statement really stuck with me because she was right. If males are the ones, in fact, causing the issue discussed then why are they not getting educated about it? Don’t get me wrong, I know men get sexually assaulted too by women, but in most cases, men are the main instigators.
It is great that we were getting the training on how to prevent this from happening to us and on how to deal with it if it did happen to us or a sister, but why learn all of this if the perpetrators aren’t doing anything at all to help lessen the issue themselves?
We as women are taught from a young age to do things to prevent sexual assaults on us, such as never walk home alone at night or get in the car with a strange man, but there comes a time in our lives when these precautionary measures aren’t enough to stop men from overpowering us.
This taps into my biggest fear in life: being raped.
This is my body. I choose what happens to it. And when that choice is taken away by someone who is stronger than you and has sick sexual desires, I imagine that it is not only very scary but can make one feel helpless.
I want no girl, including myself, to ever feel that way. To ensure this, the programs that sororities host are a definite step in the right direction, but we need more. A bigger audience needs to be reached.
The men.
They need to be educated that no means no and what the definition of consent is.
If they can learn this and keep each other in check, then maybe one day fewer girls will have to stop having a part of them ripped out when they lose their freedom to choose what happens to their body.
This is not to say that all men are evil or sexual predators, as I know a large number of men who are kind towards women and who walk girls home at night to keep them safe. I also know many of these boys have learned this from their mother and father and we need more of that. We need more parents preaching consent to their sons, as they are the role models that they look up to most of the time.
In today's society and culture, we are hearing a lot about people in politics, such as President Trump, and men in Hollywood, such as Harvey Weinstein, who are committing sexual assaults on women.
When these acts are reported we see how long men have been able to get away with their sick acts, and how they have silenced their victims. To boys, this communicates that they too can get away with this.
These famous figures are not only setting a bad example for boys but are encouraging rape culture and that needs to stop. Rape is never okay. It doesn’t matter if you are famous, poor, male, female, or whatever. It is NEVER okay to take control over someone’s body if they don’t want it.
I just hope to one day live in a world where I do not have to fear walking home alone at night and I don’t have to worry if something is slipped into my drink because in no world should someone fear for the assault of their body.
Mothers, fathers, universities, famous figures, teachers, and everyone else in the world needs to continue to educate boys on learning what yes is and when no means no. If this happens then maybe one day this will not have to be a conversation.