A recent Twitter account PSUAssault has began to flood my timeline with countless stories of sexual assault incidents happening at our beloved Penn State campuses. A question that comes to my mind, however, is "If a victim is given the complete opportunity to remain anonymous, will their attacker be held more accountable for their actions?"
Some victims of sexual assault choose to not speak out about their stories in fear of not being believed or wanting anyone to know about the violations their body endured. Remaining anonymous takes this pressure away, and even though the individual does not receive complete justice, the assailant becomes known for the actions they committed. As a community, we learn who this assailant is and the choice they made by taking advantage of someone's body, soul, and mind.
PSUAssault has done just that. They provided a platform for victims to tell the world their stories anonymously. The account's main goal is to end the rape culture present in our University by bringing spotlight onto the men and women who commit these terrible crimes. Victims are given the opportunity to share their stories about any individual(s) affiliated with Penn State in hopes of preventing the same crime to happen again. Over 150 stories have been posted, unmasking the predators we have walking around our fellow Nittany Lions.
Going through the page, I notice a commonality in these stories. There are individuals that have reported their stories to the appropriate department of our University and the process was not as they hoped for. They experienced victim blaming by Penn State employees, whose main purpose is to help the victim regain the control they had lost. Instead, this experience led to an incomplete report on their attack and a loss of hope for the victim. The victim is not to blame, yet a habit of victim blaming is present. The Clery Act and Title IX Act are repeatedly broken, while Penn State University reports a low crime rate of 1.23 per 1000 people.
The proper actions need to stop being neglected. One in 5 women and one in 16 men will experience sexual assault while in college. Sexual assault should not be a part of the college experience. Students should not be going to school with rapists. We deserve a rape-free campus. Educate students on consent. Stop the rapists.
Stop the cycle.
