On February 9, 2017, an article was posted on HerCampus.com. The article was titled “Regarding Consent: How University Policy Made My Life A Living Hell.” Later on that day, the article was deleted because it was said to “not have fully been reported on.”
This article was a first-hand account of an anonymous person’s experience reporting sexual assault at USF. It gave an inside look at how the university system handles sexual assault. It showed how little the university cared about what happened. USF sided with the attacker and silenced the survivor, something that has been known to happen at universities all around the country.
It shows what little progress has been made in regards to ending the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses. This is a huge deal but no one is talking about it.
We need to talk about it.
This perpetuation of rape culture is strongly embedded in the college system. By silencing survivors, you make it harder for other survivors to come forward. By silencing one, you silence them all. This brave and courageous person brought back all the pain and trauma to be able to create a change. And all the system did is suppress her.
This needs to change. Students should be able to feel safe in their college community, not feel like they are against them. And in order for that to happen, we all need to speak up about what is actually happening here: our college system does not help survivors. They protect attackers because “ they have a financial incentive to do so,” as said by the documentary “The Hunting Ground.” If a sexual assault is reported, it is more likely to end up on public record, something that universities do not want because it may discourage future students from coming there. In other words, they do not help students who are experiencing severe trauma and pain because they want money. Putting money over the needs of students is absolutely disgusting.
As of February 10, the article has been reposted due to the enormous outpour of activism as a result of it being deleted. Collectively as a group, we can be loud enough for us to be heard. We need to hold the university system accountable for their actions. This can’t go on any longer. We cannot be silenced anymore.
Her Campus USF and USF itself need to take responsibility for their role in silencing a survivor and siding with the perpetrator. And not by releasing some B.S. statement that is too vague to even know what they are saying. But by actually implementing (and upholding) protocols to properly apprehend perpetrators of sexual assault and supporting the survivor in the process.
