Did you know that the chance of rape is 20 to 25 percent higher for collegiate females? Did you know that 9 out of 10 women who have been sexually assaulted knew their attacker? (Recent National Sexual Violence Resource Center data)
We've all heard the numbers, seen the presentations, and have felt the twinge of discomfort when we hear about women or men who were sexually assaulted. Local community leaders have reached out to campuses across the United States to make a difference. Laws and policies have been enacted to combat the problem, yet the numbers keep rising.
Why?
According to Roger Williams University, one in five women have been sexually assaulted. Let that sink in for a minute.One in five.Ever walk into a room full of women and ponder that statistic? The next time you see more than five women, know that there's a potential for at least one of them to have been sexually assaulted.
So what are we doing about the problem?
On Oct. 29, 2015, Akron General reinstated a program called Providing Access To Healing, or PATH. Through this initiative, Akron General hopes to provide women who are sexually assaulted or victims of domestic violence the ability to cope with such traumatic experiences. In order to do so, the program utilizes Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) who have gone through tremendous victim assistance training. Such a program was considered "missing" from the local area since 2013, the Akron General press release noted. By 2017, Akron General hopes to have an entire in-house unit dedicated to these victims in their Emergency Department.
While their newest edition to an already renowned hospital makes waves in a stagnant pool, I have to wonder about the larger problem—sexual assault. Don't get me wrong, Summit County does a lot for victim's assistance, especially in the court system. Not only do they have victim advocates, they also have several prosecutors who specialize in domestic violence and sexual assault. Their dedication to procuring justice for victims is admirable and something to be applauded.
Unfortunately though, according to a 2014 Huffington Post article, only one out of 20 sexual assault victims in college will actually report the crime. What's more alarming is that of those that are reported, only 37 percent of them are prosecuted. Why such a low number? Well, as many attorneys will say, if the prosecution cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the attacker is guilty, they won't waste the resources or time on a flop case. This inevitably leaves a victim feeling empty and even more violated than before. No wonder why victims aren't coming forward.
Not only are there troubles in the legal sphere, but socially, a woman or man crying assault is just as "guilty" as the attacker. Before you get outraged, just hear me out. We've all heard about this. They call it "rape culture." It's the concept that society often points to the outfit of the victim or the amount of alcohol consumed, or my all-time favorite: "She was asking for it." We teach women to cover the body parts that men can bare to the world. Was she wearing a tight skirt and low-cut shirt? Yes? Then she obviously put herself in that position, what else did she expect to happen?
Wrong. While I don't necessarily like the outfits that women in my generation are wearing (e.g. a crop top in subzero temperatures, really?), that in no way gives another human, male or female, the right to sexually assault someone. Those of you who are nodding your heads in agreement—I want you to think about something for a minute. How many times did you utter the words, "That girl looks like a slut in those shorts," or "That test totally raped me."
If we played heads up, seven up, I bet a lot of you would have your hands raised—myself included. And sadly, we are adding to the problem. We are normalizing rape when we use it as a verb to describe a hard exam or paper. We are allowing the "slutty" girl to get too drunk and unknowingly go home with someone who has no respect for themselves or another human being.
Society can claim all they want that we're a generation that's teaching men not to rape, but really, what have we done? Medical institutions like Akron General are creating solutions for a consequence—but who's creating a solution for the bigger problem? We can have as many sexual assault awareness walks/events as we want, but what are we solving? Are we educating each other the right way by normalizing and criticizing the problem?
No, the answer is no. Rather than calling the nearly inebriated girl at the bar a "slut," why don't you go over and ask if she actually wants to go home with the person rubbing their hands all over her? Sure, you might get yelled at to "mind your own business," but at least you can know that you aren't letting a crime happen. In the off chance that she does tell you, "No, I don't even know who this person is," you're actively solving the problem. But a 40-minute presentation is just as good, right?
We're a generation with infinite access to technology and resources. We have so many opportunities to make a difference in the world. Instead of hiding behind slogans and fads, maybe it's time to actually do something. Maybe it all starts with you. Don't be a bystander, be an active facilitator of change. Make another wave, even if it just starts as a ripple.
