Lets Get This Out In The Open
This next topic is near and dear to me. I have always been a protective soul and I have had to come to the realization that I will not be able to always protect the ones I truly care about. By writing this article I hope to get you passionate about the issue and help make a difference. Yesterday may be gone but we still hold the fate of tomorrow in our hands. So here goes all I've got...
Sexual assault is a hard topic to discuss. I do not know how to gently open the door to this conversation, so I'm going to try kicking the door down. I am going to start by presenting you with some statistics. Before we get into the swing of things, lets define sexual assault. According to womenshealth.gov, "Sexual assault is any type of forced or coerced sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent. Sexual assault includes rape, attempted rape, child molestation and sexual harassment or threats." Now that we are equipped with an idea on what sexual assault comprises, lets start.
In America, every two minutes a citizen will be sexually assaulted. Every two minutes, let that sink in. And, statistically speaking, only 6 out of 1,000 assaulters will see time in jail. Since 1998 almost 18 million American women have been the victims of rape, and that rises daily.
Rape doesn't stop at the act. The longterm effects of rape are eye opening. Thirty percent of rape victims still report suffering from PTSD after 9 months. A third of the women who are raped contemplate suicide, and thirteen percent actually follow through with it. On top of that seventy percent of rape or sexual assault victims suffer from moderate to severe stress, far more than any victim of any other violent crime.
Now lets shift our focus over to campus sexual assault. Yes, we are talking about college. It's an exciting time for all young adults trying to pave their way into the world. But what if I told you that your son had a 1 in 4 chance of getting the ever living shit kicked out of him? Would you send him to school? In America today, 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted while attending college. Fact. And whats worse than that statistic is when you learn that only 20 percent of rape victims report it. 1 in 5 women who get raped will report it. While the other four ladies choose not to report it for a multitude of reasons. Some of the most common reasons women do not report is because they felt it wasn't important enough to report or that the police wouldn't do anything about it.
If that doesn't make your blood boil I don't know what will. A young lady in college who is trying to better herself doesn't feel that being raped is important enough to report. And in our culture I do not blame her one bit. I'm not saying I agree, because I believe every rapist should be put behind bars, but look at our culture. "Why was she dressed like that?" "Why would she drink so much? She asked for it." "She let me buy her a drink, what was I suppose to expect?" We blame the victim. And in those rare instances where the case goes to trial, look what happens. Brock Turner served only 3 months in jail. Here is a kid found guilty of rape who only served 3 months in prison.
The worst part about rape is that you have an extremely high chance of knowing your attacker. Acquaintance rape is the number one rape that is reported. This could be a guy who you met in class, at a football game, at the library or all to common, that guy you meet at the bar. You will most likely know your attacker. It could be someone you use to trust, or someone you knew of, but you will know the name.
Thats a lot to take in and some of the statistics are nothing less than terrifying. My goal is not to scare, rather I aim to educate you. If I can help one person with this post, then my mission is complete.
On the other hand I am optimistic for the future. Since 1993, sexual violence has dropped by almost fifty percent. I truly believe in the saying "it takes a village to raise a child." Well I think together, as a country, we can come together and fight this problem head on. We need to be heard. We need to show that we are still human.
Here are a few examples of how you can ensure that you and your loved ones will be spared from the horror of sexual assault. Check yourself! There is no need to slam that fifth tequila shot! Arrive with your group and leave with your group. Keep an eye out for each other. Make someone earn your trust. Ladies remember that a free drink is a lame conversation starter!
Most importantly, we should all educate ourselves. There are two very powerful and moving documentaries that every freshman in college should watch. The Hunting Grounds and It Happened Here will highlight real cases and give you an inside look at how universities and police handled the situations. And last but not least, Jon Krakauers book, Missoula, highlights many different cases and how poorly they were handled. The book is gripping and is considered a must read in my opinion.
My reason for bringing this to everyones attention is really quite simple. I think we, as humans, are morally obligated to do the right thing whenever we can. Edmond Burke once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." I can no longer stand idly by. I love you and I don't even know you. I want you to feel safe wherever you go. I feel obligated to try to help as much as I possibly can.
I have to give special thanks to RAINN.org
Please check out their site and take a few minutes to read a couple of pages.
Tyle
